After a hectic finale where nobody important lost time, stage three should deliver us the first (bigger) time differences in this Benelux Challenge. The race goes from Houffalize to Leuven and is is the longest of this stage race, while also being filled with KoM’s.
The successful attack seems to include three Podium Ambition riders and two Andorra guys. The seven who are quickly 1’30” ahead of the peloton are Caruso, Otruba, Kireva, Dahl-Olsen, Vanderpool, Le Court and Bridges.
Caruso is the best on the first KoM of the day (1st cat.), and immediately takes the virtual KoM-lead. Kireva crosses the top second. Thill and Roux accelerated in the peloton, hoping to join the leaders. Machado in trouble already, two minutes behind the peloton!
Caruso clearly the most dominant rider uphill, as he easily wins the second KoM (3rd cat.) as well. Thill and Roux are coming closer to the seven leaders, while the peloton is 4’15” behind the race lead with 172 km to go.
As if he doesn’t even has to try, Caruso wins the third KoM (1st cat.) as well, and increases his lead in the ranking. Otruba is the only one to come kind of close this time.
Still 160 km left as the peloton crosses the same point 6’ later. The teams setting the pace are Campari, Fablok, Carlsberg and Europcar.
Although he seemed to be struggling a bit at the end, Caruso wins the Bois Gérard-KoM of second category ahead of two Podium Ambitions riders. Only 4 km to go until the Al Béole of first category.
This one was actually very close! Caruso only just manages to beat Le Court, while Bridges is third and Kireva fourth.
After going up and down for a long while, we finally reach a flat part of the stage, where we also find the first intermediate sprint of the day. Caruso doesn’t care about anyone’s feeling and wins it ahead of Otruba, Le Court, Kireva and Bridges. The next three riders, at 1’30”, are Thill, Roux and Vanderpool. The peloton only one additional minute behind that trio. We’re halfway the stage, as there are 107 km to the finish line.
Damn, gas prices are definitely higher in Wallonia than in Flanders. As our leaders are ready to tackle the mythical Mur de Huy (1st cat.), Bridges has been blown back to the following trio, who on their turn are on the verge of getting caught by the peloton.
Caruso still on his “take everything, give nothing” quest, as he finishes just ahead of Le Court and Kireva on the top of the Mur. Otruba can’t follow them anymore, while the peloton crosses the top 3’30” later.
The next obstacle immediately comes in the form of the Fond de l’Esperance (2nd cat.), but the two national riders in the leading group can do nothing more than look at Caruso taking the maximum of the points again.
Carrefour doing well at the head of the race, but they’re in trouble in the peloton! Leader Tsatevich is having problems with the pace and can’t follow anymore! It seems the stage is too hard for the Russian!
Who would have thought, even Caruso is beatable! The Italian finishes third on the Camp de Coroy (1st cat.), while Kireva is the first to cross the line with 68 km to go. Caruso already has more than 100 points nonetheless, and can’t be overtaken anymore today. Otruba meanwhile caught by the peloton.
58 km to go as Le Court wins the penultimate KoM of the day, with the last KoM being in the finale. A very strong Sulvaran and Mygind make sure they are as good as caught. Tsatevich reaches the back of the 88-headed peloton now, good news for Carrefour!
The leaders are officially caught and with 41.5 km to go we find the second out of three intermediate sprints. Gaviria wins it ahead of yellow jersey Kalaba and Van Asbroeck, coming a bit closer in the battle for green (and yellow). Could the sprinters survive until the finish? It won’t be easy, but it is possible!
If we look back at the same time, we see Tsatevich was dropped again! He is in the same group as green jersey Rosas and cobbler Schreurs, and they are already 3’ behind the race lead.
Trans cycling team and Fablok – Chocolate Jacques believe their leaders are up for the job today, and are leading the peloton with 25 km to go.
13 km to go as the sprinters go at it again at the last intermediate sprint of the day, which is won by Van Asbroeck ahead of Kalaba and Gaviria.
Final 13 km. Can the sprinters survive? KoM in 5 km.
Nobody tries anything on the Pellenberg, but just after the top Martinez seems to have forgotten his team has the yellow jersey, the Cuban attacks with 8 km to go!
Rosa says thank you for the lead-out and overtakes the Cuban with 6 km to go, while Juul-Jensen is right behind him! The other riders up front are Parra Bustamente, Kump, Benoot, Kunshin, Gaviria, Van Asbroeck, Barbin and his domestiques and Di Maggio! Behind them a small gap to Claeys, not the best tactics by the Minions!
The Carlsberg rider now trying to go solo in the last 5 km! Parra Bustamente doesn’t allow him to do so easily, but he has a small gap!
Final 4 km for the Dane, as Kump is trying to reel his GC rival back in! Gaviria behind the Slovenian, could he actually finish this in style for home team Lierse?!
JJ is giving his best with 3 km to go, but Barbin is now making use of his three domestiques to bring everyone closer! A strong effort by Houle sees the other favourites in the peloton also coming back to the group behind the Carlsberg rider, so we are looking at a bunch sprint to decide today’s winner and possible new yellow jersey!
As the riders enter the last 2 km, we seem to have lost our sprinters! Juul-Jensen still has a very small gap over the others, but that should be meaningless when they accelerate on the final hill. Kump has also given quite a lot in the chase, rather thinking about the GC than the stage win it seems. Another gap has formed behind the first 25-ish riders, with Debesay in the first group, but Claeys trailing again!
At the foot of the final hill with 1.5 km to go, Barbin is led out by Manfred. Who is the first to start his final sprint?!
Everyone still close together with 800 meters to go! Barbin on the left, Kump on the right and Houle coming through the middle!
Parra Bustamente with a strong acceleration, now one bike ahead of the others! 600 meters to go as Benoot is in second position!
Here come the stronger sprinters! Kump into first position, with Houle next to him and Gaviria behind those two!
It is going to be between those three! Kump still in the lead with 200 meters to go!
Less than a hundred meters left and the Nordstrom rider still going strong!
And he wins! Kump wins stage three of the Benelux Challenge! Houle (2nd) and Gaviria (3rd) complete the podium!
Another Xero rider finishing strong as Bester surprisingly is fourth ahead of Van Asbroeck (5th) and Benoot (6th). Other places in the top-10 go to Modolo (7th), Martinez (8th), Debesay (9th) and Kunshin (10th).
Even though there is a small gap behind the first twenty riders, the jury decides no time gaps are given! Kalaba therefore remains in yellow, leading one second over Gaviria! The puncheurs will not be happy, as Summerhill has not lost any time ahead of tomorrow’s cobbled stage!
