In the first two stages of the Tour of Guadeloupe some serpentine roads have rewarded the sprinters who had strong lead outs and good positioning. The third stage features a different final challenge – the last 600 meters ascend at an average of 7.2%.
This stage also features the bulk of the climbing with one each of a Cat 1, 2 and 3. The Cat 1 climb to Hermitage summit featured as a Cat 3 yesterday but today the riders will do the full climb, although at 4k at 6.4% its Cat 1 rating is still generous. With only a single Cat 4 tomorrow, today should crown the King of the Mountains for the inaugural Tour of Guadeloupe. As well as the mountain action there are two sprint points, the first just 9k into the race.
Despite the sharp finish the stage favorites are all the same guys as before.
4k to the sprint point, only Reddish has a gap as all the other attackers have been shut down. With the chaos of the early attacks none of the big sprinters are currently positioned to contest the sprint point.
1k to the sprint point for Reddish, he has 36 seconds on the peloton. Howard is the best sprinter near the front of the pack, he could use some bonus seconds.
Howard doesn’t get to the front in time. Instead Tesson takes 2nd behind Reddish with Miquel in 3rd.
Reddish starts the first climb of the day with a 47 second lead. The climb is 1.5k and 6.5% and carries Cat 2 points with 10 points for first. Since the current KOM leader has just 8 points this climb will have a big impact.
Behind nobody has been able to get a significant gap, currently 2 riders have an 8 second gap, they are Mengoulas and Tesson.
Unfortunately for Reddish he had done a lot of work on the flat to get his gap and his limited climbing skills mean he is quickly swamped on the ascent. In addition to the previously mentioned duo, two other riders have gone to the front: Resell and Yzeiraj. Right now they look the freshest. 500 meters to the top.
Yzeiraj takes the maximum points.
The full score: Yzeiraj 10 (14) Mengoulas 8 (14) Tesson 6 (8) Resell 4 (5) Mestric 2 (5)
The riders immediately start the climb to Hermitage Summit. Currently there is a 7-rider front group which has 52 seconds on the next group. The 5 who took KOM points plus Kochetkov and Gonzalez. The Puerto Rican representing the home team in a break for the first time. The climbing has caused some damage in the peloton as can be seen by the splits behind.
Interesting move by Zalgiris as Groselj, drags Räim and Halvorsen up to the break which results in a strong reaction from the pack.
500 meters from the top the pack closes down the break so Tesson goes on the attack.
And first mover advantage works this time and he takes maximum points. Behind Yzeiraj edges Resell.
The full scoring is: Tesson 16 (24) Yzeiraj 12 (26) Resell 10 (15) Mengoulas 8 (22) Halvorsen 6 (6) Groselj 4 (4) Kochetkov 2 (2)
One more climb to come, a Cat 3. The top 3 at the KOM have 19 seconds on Mengoulas, who has 37 seconds on the pack.
The KOM hunters don’t press their advantage and for most of the descent the peloton is all back together but as they complete the descent Yzeiraj and Kochetkov launch a new attack. 100k still to ride.
Sam and Skala are able to bridge over to the other two and with 89k to go the break of the day is established. Their lead is 2’42.
Kochetkov takes the 2nd sprint ahead of Sam and Skala. Sam is U25 qualified so those bonus seconds move him into 2nd in that competition.
With 70k to go the lead is 2’18. Bralirwa, Minions and Zalgiris doing most of the work.
With 63k to go the break start the final climb, 3.3k at 4.2%. Yzeiraj can secure the KOM title with 1st or 2nd on this climb. The peloton will want to pay close attention here as the first 700 meters, which are shown in the picture, also represent the climb to the finish. Hopefully there will be more fans the next time they come around.
Skala leads most of the climb but Sam comes around to snatch the points at the top. Yzeiraj only takes 2 points which means he could lose the KOM tomorrow if Tesson wins the lone Cat 4 climb and he does not score. The lead is 2’20, 56k to go.
20k to go the lead is 55 seconds. Volcanica contributing to the chase now. The pack has had a few momentary splits but so far has always come back together.
17k and one of the splits has turned serious. A group of 25 riders has 1’19 on the rest of the pack (shown in the picture) with the original break 40 seconds ahead of them. Many of the top sprinters have made the front group but among those missing are Howard, Guerao, Bertilsson, Kanter, Boivin and Bogdanovics. Minions, Zalgiris and Volcanica pushing the pace in the front of the split but they don’t have many riders left, the last 3 riders across were 3 Bralirwa domestiques, Okbamariam, Lauk, and Mengoulas not clear if they are going to help.
10k to go Naud and Bolor-Erdene with help from Li have reduced the break’s advantage to 21 seconds and kept the chasing pack at 1’03. Kanter doing much of the work himself in the pack, he is willing to sacrifice his chances in the sprint to close the time gap and hopefully save his White Jersey.
5k to go English trying to close the last few meters to the break for the lead favorites group. The chasing pack still at 56 seconds.
The break is caught and with 1.3k to go the front group open the sprint, not many riders left to do lead outs. Kuboki on the front. Behind him Ahlstrand, Jakobsen, Vesely and Wippert. Then Kennaugh and Halvorsen. Behind them Boudat, Scully, Bonifazio, Silvestre. The only other sprinter in the group is Kragh Andersen but he is badly out of position at this point, with the riders at the back of the picture. The remainder of the peloton is still closing but their only goal now is to avoid a time gap and fight again tomorrow.
800 meters they are about to start climbing. Vesely has the lead on the right. Räim is going strongly on the left but it would probably be better if Halvorsen was actually on his wheel. Silvestre still biding his time at the back which might be the right call given the hill. Kragh Andersen seems to have given up having missed a key split. Resell, who was also in the front group, sprinting for Carlsberg.
500 meters, Vesely definitely went too early and is spent, Kennaugh now on the front. They are getting to the hardest part of the climb now, it is going to be some tough meters.
400 meters, Kennaugh still going strong, the trio behind him are Ahlstrand, Jakobsen and Wippert.
200 meters, Jakobsen is catching Kennaugh. Behind Wippert seems spent but Halvorsen, Scully, and Bonifazio are closing fast.
A burst of speed from Scully, and he takes the lead, as he and Bonifazio find space between Jakobsen and Kennaugh. None of them moving that fast now.
Scully was the strongest and got the timing right. He wins stage 3. A great win for CT squad Air New Zealand.
Jakobsen 2nd. Kennaugh 3rd.
Boudat finishes fast for 4th ahead of Bonifazio who faded right at the end and Silvestre who left it too late.
Halvorsen and Ahlstrand settle for 7th and 8th ahead of Wippert. In the end their teams spent their strength causing the split and lacked strength in the finale.
After a small gap Räim grabs 10th ahead of Vesely.
And gaps are awarded, not only is the peloton unable to close losing 1’05 but there is also a gap of 16 seconds awarded between Wippert and Räim.
Ahlstrand holds on to the GC lead ahead of Jakobsen. Ahlstrand also extends his points lead to 5 ahead of Vesely.
Bonifazio is 3rd in the GC while the time gap pushes Vesely back to 6th.
But the real disaster is for all the riders who missed the split. Kanter is the best placed of them in 24th at 1’44. Being in the breakaway proves magical for Sam, as he is the only U25 eligible rider to make the front groups, who had not previously lost time, so he now leads that competition by 42 seconds. Hopefully, some of his family made it over from Guatemala to see him.
3 teams had 1 rider finish in the front 9 and at least 2 other riders stay with the group at 16 seconds. Those 3 are Bonduelle, Oktal and Bralirwa, who are currently tied in the team’s competition lead. Barring more splits, they will fight out that competition tomorrow. The Volcanica riders who did all the work in the original split faded back and finished in the peloton.
Tour of Guadeloupe 
