Stage 3 of the Tour of Japan brings us to Inabe. The riders will face 8 ascents of a sharp climb, not dissimilar to yesterday’s stage but the climb is a little tougher and this one is rated hilly. Last year Tom Jelte Slagter beat Michal Kwiatkowski at the line. There were 52 riders in the group that contested the sprint last year, and the stage is slightly shorter this year but essentially unchanged.
The stage features KOM sprints on the 4th and 7th climb. KOM leader Vila also holds Yellow and White so he will have a strategic decision to make.
Last year’s top two are not back and many of the favorites are the GC riders but the best pure punchuer in the race is Ginanni who will see this stage as his best opportunity but his team holds yellow so that may complicate his life.
Abdurrahman and Nazaret are the first attackers.
Being in the break proofed fruitful yesterday and as the front two crest the climb for the first time (no KOM) there are two more attackers behind - Panayotov and Stetina. They have a gap of 2’11 to close.
As the peloton crests the climb there are two more attackers. Desigual’s loanee from McCormick, Rhim and Dina.
With 20km gone and 108 to go the front four have come together but the next two still need 42 seconds. But the peloton isn’t thrilled with this break and Ablenado is among those chasing and they are 54 seconds behind the last group of attackers. Farfetch using Kemboi as well.
10km later, the second ascent is complete but the situation is much the same, the front 4 have 40 seconds on the next two and the peloton is just 1’03 behind them. Up front Abdurrahman and Nazaret are just sitting on because the two chasers come from the same two teams.
Finally, 30 km in to the stage with about 90 km to ride Rhim makes it across but Dina is struggling to close the last 25 seconds. The peloton can be seen in the distance just 50 seconds behind him. The third ascent is almost complete.
But the hill was not complete enough for Rhim as he is dropped before the top while Dina is almost back in the pack.
The recapture of Dina doesn’t satisfy the hungry peloton and they continue to chase, causing splits in the pack. The Yellow Jersey is among those caught behind but the big leaders are up front.
Green jersey Gonzalez Salas puts an end to Rhim’s brave ride. Perhaps now the peloton will relax.
They do not and as the front group tackles the 4th ascent (and first with KOM points) the pack is still only 1’30 back, although the gaps have closed. The break’s efforts to stay away have claimed another victim as Panayotov is dropped.
The benefit of not working while their teammate’s chased seems to has benefitted Abdurrahman and Nazaret, who are neck and neck, as they cross the KOM point, with Stetina dropped.
Nazaret is judged to have crossed first. Abdurrahman and Stetina get the rest of the points.
With about 70km to go the peloton still in full flight. Swisslion, Fablok, Bakkafrost and Xero chasing. Panayotov has just 16 seconds. Then 44 seconds to Stetina and 56 seconds to the front two. The peloton has split again with the yellow jersey again behind.
62 km to go and Stetina is caught and the peloton is back in one piece. The remaining two leaders have 1’32.
With 45km to go, half way up the 6th ascent the peloton, led by Benito catches the last of the break.
About a dozen riders have been dropped, including Panayotov. Rhim, Gonzalez and Drapac.
Over the top the peloton splits leaving 75 riders up front and again the Yellow jersey is on the wrong side. But the pace falls a little with no more break to chase and the Yellow Jersey and Panayotov are among those who rejoin.
No attacks for the 2nd KOM and the points go to the Europcar riders who are setting tempo. Vila look likely to lose yellow today but he will hold the KOM jersey. There are 29km left.
The pack again splits over the top, 58 riders up front. The Yellow Jersey in A2 with Nazaret while Suaza finds himself isolated in A3.
With 22 km to go Suaza is able to rejoin as have most of the others. He needs to recover and get into a better position for the next cimb.
Europcar control the peloton as they turn towards the final climb. From here there is 2km’s to the top and then about 14 km to the finish. The top riders will want to be near the front as they go over the top. Leading for Europcar are Atapuma, Miller, Pavlic and Janse van Rensburg. The entire team is in the first 20 riders.
A few 100 meters to the summit, Ackermann is the best placed of the favorites in about 6th wheel but there are still a lot of riders near the front.
Over the top 44 riders led by Hagen split off the front. They have 44 seconds over the second group on the road that includes Diaz, Grmay, Nepomnyachsniy and Ablenado.
Suaza and the Yellow Jersey is in the 3rd group another 36 seconds back.
10km banner and Areruya attacks. Behind him in order are: Padun Yates Paulus Ackermann Wellens Kudus Anuar Aziz Le Gac
Gap to group 2 is 40 seconds. The attackers are unable to get a gap and with 6.5 km to go Areruya tries again.
And 7 riders get a gap: Areruya,, Padun, Yates, Paulus, Ackermann, Wellens, and Kudus.
Hermans and Scarponi work hard to close them down for Bakkafrost.
The front group aren’t willing to work together and they are caught. With 4.3 km to go Farfetch come to the front, a bunch sprint seems likely. The 2nd and 3rd group on the road have merged but are still 44 seconds behind if they don’t close that we will definitely have a new GC leader.
1.8 km to go and Ackermann is in 2nd wheel behind Rikunov, he is easily the best sprinter in the group but he doesn’t want to go too early.
700 meters to go. Poljanski brings Wellens to the front. Ackermann, realizing it was too early, dropped back to about 10thh position but he may have given up too much ground. It is slightly uphill to the finish.
500 meters, Poljanski is sprinting for himself. Across the road it is: Wellens Yates Kudus Bennett Konig
300 meters. Poljanski still leads but Wellens, Yates, Kudus, and Bennett are all closing. Behind them it is Guerreiro, Ackermann, Areruya, Paulus, Konig, and Parra Bustamente. Just behind them Frankiny and Squire.
100 meters and Yates has the edge.
The first two stages didn’t work out as Farfetch hoped but Yates delivers in stage 3.
Kudus takes 2nd. The next 4 are very tight.
Ackermann recovers to take 3rd but he dropped a few too many places round the last corner. Third is only a consolations prize.
Behind him it is Bennett, Wellens, and Areruya.
Paulus takes 7th ahead of Guerreiro, Konig, and Frankiny.
The first 32 riders get the same time. Vila loses 1’02 and both the Yellow and White jerseys. He will wear polka-dots tomorrow.
The top GC riders all finish in the front group but Grmay and Nepomnyachsniy lose 1’02 and Ablenado, Diaz and Suaza lose 2’05.
Moving back to good news the time bonus is enough to also give Yates Yellow by 6 seconds ahead of Kudus and 12 seconds ahead of Ackermann.
Yates also holds the points jersey although he is tied with Ackermann.
Dunbar sits in 4th in the GC and 1st in the White Jersey competition. Repsol also hold on to the team jersey.
Tomorrow the Mt Fuji Time Trial will shake things up again but for tonight Farfetch can celebrate.
Tour of Japan 
