Stage 3 of the Bayern Rundfahrt is the crucial climbing stage. The 168k includes two Cat 1 climbs and a Cat 2. The second Cat 1 is to the finish at Winklmoos-Alm (5.7k at 6.8% average).
The stage favorites are the big climbers. Not on the list is Brändle, but as the climbing isn’t that hard, he will hope his ascending skills are good enough to keep him with the front group, in which case he could be the new GC leader.
The first set of attackers get a 1-minute gap. 10 riders in this group, they are: Ndayisenga, Schultz, Ziesler, Watson, Hansen, Visser, Ludvigsson, Maccagli, Altur, and Menicucci. San Marino and Sauber well represented with 2 riders in the break. BWT and BNS also have two.
25k gone, Finkler has made it two in the break for Gjensidige and 11 total. Other riders still trying to come across.
With 35k gone the break is up to 14, the additions are Schleck, Molard, and Juul-Jensen. With the gap now at 4 minutes this is the break of the day.
BNZ up to 3 representatives. The group includes some top-quality climbers in the BNZ pair of Schleck and Schultz and Bralirwa’s Ndayisenga, none of those 3 are great TT riders so the closest on GC is Ndayisenga at 4’22. Overall, in the break the closest on GC is Maccagli at 2’10, but seems unlikely he has the climbing skills to survive. Ludvigsson the only one with any KOM points.
As the peloton reaches the first climb of the day (Cat 1 to Hochschwarzeck, 6.0k at 5.8%) the lead is down to 3’16. A number of teams working including Aramco, UBS, Minions and Voyagin.
With 1.8k to go to the top the first action in the break sees Juul-Jensen attack.
800 meters to go and he has an 8 second gap. Visser chasing. Ziesler, Molard and Menicucci have been dropped.
Juul-Jensen holds on for maximum points.
Ndayisenga, Schleck and Hansen follow him over.
Altur, Finkler, and Watson take the rest of the points. Juul-Jensen is now tied for the virtual KOM lead with the 3 riders from yesterday’s break.
Nur Hasan leads the peloton over the top 4’25 later. All the breakaway riders are back together except Menicucci who is still a few second behind.
Over the top some small groups are split from the peloton but they all quickly rejoin.
70k to go for the peloton, the lead is down to 3’11. Red Bull, Polar and Indosat also contributing to the chase as well as the teams mentioned earlier.
The breakaway reach the Cat 2 clim to Scharam (2.2k at 4.4%) with a 2’19 lead over the peloton. 44k to ride. This climb should decide the KOM winner for the race.
Juul-Jensen goes early, Visser in pursuit.
Juul-Jensen leads all the way to the top. He will be the King of the Mountains unless the break survives to the finish.
40k to go for the peloton and as the lead dips inside 2 minutes the peloton splits on the descent. 25 riders in the front group. Bernal leading the chase, Viennet, the Yellow jersey, also caught out.
After a short but intense chase the peloton comes back together, although still stretched out. The lead down to 1’50.
The peloton continues to split under the pressure of the chase. As they pass the 20k to go banner a 49-rider favorites group has 1’12 over the rest of the peloton and is 53 seconds behind the break. From here an uncategorized climb, a short descent/flat section and then the climb to the finish.
18k to go and the Yellow Jersey has been spat out of the front chase group and is back with the 3rd group on the road. Polar seem to have sacrificed Bernal to protect him as he is also back with this group. Howson and Zmorka, 2nd and 3rd on GC, are still in the favorites group.
On the uncategorized climb Brändle and Izagirre attack the favorites group. Up front the breakaway has split and Finkler, Schleck, Juul-Jensen, Hansen, and Visser have a gap over the rest. Those 5 have 1’06 over the favorites group which has 51 seconds over the rest of the peloton (including the Yellow jersey)
Izaguirre and Brändle get a gap on the rest but the reaction rips the favorites group apart. Some are caught by the rest of the peloton while others form into smaller groups. This is the first group chasing the two attackers, it includes among others Shikai, Dunbar, Laengen, Goncalves, and Zmorka.
The full situation looks like this:
As the leaders on the road reach the final climb, with just under 6k to ride, the surviving 11 riders from the breakaway are back together. This group has 31 seconds over Ndayisenga. (only Ziesler and Menicucci have been caught by the chasers). Brändle and Izagirre have been caught and the first chase group, which is now 26-strong, is 56 seconds behind the leaders. It contains most of the favorites including Zmorka. The second chase group is just behind the first and should be able to rejoin, it includes Gesink and Howson. Another 60 rider group is just behind them. Bernal and the Yellow Jersey are further behind so Polar is all in for Izaguirre.
4.8k to climb for the leaders, Schleck and Schultz on the front. Ndayisenga has been able to catch them. The chase group is now back to 100 riders and is 1-minute behind. Bernal and the Yellow jersey are not in the chase group.
3k to climb and the BNZ trio are driving the breakaway on, their lead is still 1’00 minute over the chase group which is down to 94. Ndayisenga, Ludvigsson, and Altur have been dropped from the breakaway.
2.9k to go for the chase group and Laengen attacks.
Izagirre is the first to react, then Shikai, Dunbar and Brändle. Maccagli has been dropped from the lead group which is down to 8 riders.
1.5k to go for the leaders, Laengen has reached them, Aker-MOT not resting on their laurels today. Izaguirre is next on the road at 33 seconds. Behind Uran, Haga, Goncalves, and Cosnefroy have all attacked the chase group, but the gaps are still small.
1k to go, Izaguirre and Shikai have also reached the front group. Uran 30 seconds behind. The rest of the attackers have been caught by the chase group which is down to 62 riders and is 21 seconds behind Uran. Zmorka still in that group but Howson has been dropped. The Los Pollos rider is the only pure TT rider still in the GC fight (although more balanced TT riders like Anderberg are still in the main chase group).
800 meters. Laengen on the front. Uran has bridged across and the leaders have 41 seconds over the main chase group.
600 meters and Laengen starts the sprint. Closest to him is Schultz. Izagirre the only other GC rider close enough to go for the stage. Zmorka is the very last rider in the chase group which is at 45 seconds. It doesn’t look like he is going to be able to hold his second on GC.
500 meters, Laengen paying for his efforts as Schultz comes by him. BWT with 3 in the first 6 here, with Watson and Schleck also sprinting. Juul-Jensen and Izaguirre the other survivors. They have 12 seconds over the next 6.
300 meters, it is between, Schutz (center), Juul-Jensen (right) and Schleck (barriers). Hansen has led the 2nd group back up to them. Behind 9 riders have got a gap on the main chase group.
Juul-Jensen cracks it will be a famous 1 – 2 for BNZ with Schultz and Schleck. The legendary Luxembourgian gets one more podium for his scrapbook.
Rapid finishes by Molard and Hansen give Strava 3rd and 4th and CT teams the top 4. Laengen takes 5th, a great ride by him should yield some GC gains. Juul-Jensen settles for 6th. The breakaway did survive but nobody scored enough points ahead of him to take away the KOM jersey (Schleck gets 2nd). The top 6 all get the same time.
24 seconds later the next group is led home by Watson (7th) with Uran, Shikai, Izaguirre and Finkler getting 8th to 11th.
The next group at 46 seconds is led home by Kozhatayev and Jaramillo. Just behind them are Brändle, (15th) Dunbar (18th), and Goncalves (19th) among others. The main chase group can be seen in the background. Everyone through 29th gets this time which is music to the ears of some notable TT riders, survivors finishing in the top 29 are Cosnefroy (23rd), Onodera (22nd) and Anderberg (27th). Zmorka cracks badly and ends up losing 3’07, dropping to 16th on GC.
In the GC Brändle does enough to hold the lead by 2 seconds over Cosnefroy and 7 over Uran. The top 10 are separated by just 50 seconds so a lot could change tomorrow.
Aker-MOT take the teams lead, Dunbar leads Anderberg by 8 seconds in the young rider competition and Molard is the point leader.
Bayern Rundfahrt 
