Stage 3 of the Tour of East Java is by far the hardest stages. The riders face 207k, starting with two laps of circuit near Mataram that features a Cat 3 climb. Then a long flat stretch across Lombok to the base of Mount Rinjani. Mount Rinjani will be climbed in two stages, a 15k HC climb averaging 8%, followed by a short descent and then the finishing climb (3.5k at 8.9%) up to the Mount Rinjani view point where Cat 3 points will be awarded. To add a little complexity there is a sprint point between the two finishing climbs. But the first rider to finish the stage will likely also be the rider who wins the Tour of East Java.
The organizers think it will be a duel between the last two winners, Herklotz and Phinney but there are a lot of other climbers who might have a say.
200k to go and the riders are about to start the Cat 3 climb of Bukit Bengkaung that features on the opening circuit. It is 6.1k at 4.8%. No clarity on who will be in the break yet as lots of riders trying to get away. Barthe has the lead and a small gap right now.
Barthe grinds up the climb on his own but with 1.6k to climb he is caught by Voisard and Rubio. 18 seconds behind them a group of 4 ( Gebremedhin, Elosegui, Helme, Hofstede) then another 29 seconds to Monk and the peloton is at 1’04.
Barthe pulls away from the other two to take maximum points. Behind Helme leads the 4 chasers across to the front group.
Voisard and Helme take the rest of the points.
With 182k to go all 7 have come together and have a lead of 2’16. Monk was caught by the peloton.
Barthe easily wins the sprint that marks the end of the first lap, Hofstede is second. The lead over the peloton is 3’43 with multiple teams working including Isostar, Minions, Phillips, Volcanica, Puma, Aegon, Bralirwa and Popo.
On the 2nd ascent of Bukit Bengkaung Elosegui is the first to attack. He puts in a dig 800 meters from the top.
Helme comes around him to take maximum points. With the points split, Postlberger remains in sole possession of the KOM lead with 12 points. But 20 points will be scored at the top of the HC climb so the jersey will be handed over to a GC rider by the end of the stage. The breakaway has about 4 minutes over the peloton.
Barthe is once again the fastest at the 2nd sprint point. Hofstede 2nd again. Now the riders have completed the initial laps and will head across the island to where the main event of the stage will take place on the slopes of Mount Rinjani. 91k to go, the break has 2’36 on the chasers.
40k to ride, 10k to the start of the big climb. Barthe and Hofstede attack the break, but it all for show now as the peloton is just 56 seconds behind.
Just 400 meters from the start of the climb it is all over for the breakaway. Gaviria among the riders helping to close things down.
The profile of the climb:
10k to the top. Robeet was working but now Mager has taken over. Madrazo in 2nd wheel. Herklotz also right at the front. Phinney a bit further back and already on his own. Peloton is down to 155 riders.
8k to climb. Cemazar on the front ahead of Mager. Vuelta KOM Schinnagel protecting Herklotz a few riders back. Andersen was with Phinney for a little while but is now dropping back. Peloton down to 103 riders.
7k to the top, Sicard launches the first attack. Mager the only Puma rider ahead of Herklotz now but Stork is working his way up. Koshevoy has Pinot well placed on the right. Eyob with Madrazo in the center near Spilak who is protecting Padun. Mostly leaders on their own other than those although a few riders back Olivier is covering Wellens.
Koshevoy takes up the chase of Sicard but quickly cracks. Then Padun puts in a brief dig but almost immediately gives up. Sicard’s lead is up to 25 seconds.
With 6k to climb Pinot, Padun, Penasa and Monsalve try to get a gap but work from Olivier keeps them under control. Sicard’s lead down to 17 seconds.
4.5k to climb, Pinot has joined Sicard and they have a 43 second lead. Penasa also made it but has now been gapped and is 18 seconds behind the leading duo. The peloton slowed down as Olivier eased off. Hosek on the front now. Peloton is down to 70.
3.8k to climb. Herklotz on the front himself now and has the gap down to 14 seconds. Cattaneo closest to him. Peloton is still 61 strong but some big names are dropping back including Padun and Monsalve who seem to be paying for their attacks and Quintana who is being nursed along by his domestiques about half way down the pack.
3.4k to climb. Herklotz drags Cattaneo and Warchol up to the leaders. Phinney is working to close a 23 second gap behind. 15 riders in the Phinney group. Monsalve and Quintana are the big names not in the group and Padun is in trouble right at the back with Rodriguez, Hibatullah, and Destribois. 3 Aegon riders still in the Phinney group plus Hosek, the rest are leaders.
2.6k to go, Phinney has brought his group back to the Herklotz group. Cattaneo now on the front. The riders around Padun plus Penasa, Hosek and the two Aegon domestiques (Carboni and Olivier) have been dropped leaving a 12-rider lead group who are 39 seconds clear of the next group on the road. The 12 leaders are: Phinney Herklotz Madrazo Wellens Cattaneo Novak Pinot Sicard Warchol Formolo Pomoshnikov Cort Nielsen
1k banner. Cattaneo doing all the work. Still 12 riders at the front. They have 53 seconds over the next group which includes Penasa, Olivier, Carboni and Hosek and another 51 seconds to a 48-rider group which is being led by Hamilton.
Cattaneo leads them over the top, their lead is up to 1’03. The Minions leader takes over the virtual KOM as reward for his efforts but there are still points at the finish which could change things.
Pomoshnikov and Cort Nielsen are gapped over the top.
But Cattaneo decides he shouldn’t do all the work and with 9k to ride Pomoshnikov, Cort Nielsen, Penasa, Olivier, Carboni and Hosek all rejoin. The next group is down to 25 riders and is 1’26 behind with Destribois leading.
The chase group closes to within 33 seconds before Cattaneo takes up the pacemaking again. 1k to the sprint he might fancy those bonus seconds.
But it is Carboni who leads them over Cattaneo and Madrazo take the remaining seconds. 2.2k to the finishing climb.
As they hit the final climb Amador brings the chase group back across. All the dropped big names are in this group.
2k to climb, they are stretched across the road, nobody going for it yet. Wellens (Olivier) and Warchol (Hosek) have protection, the rest on their own. Of the riders that were dropped earlier Penasa, Padun and Monsalve are best positioned but still at the back of the front runners.
1k banner. Madrazo and Herklotz furthest forward. Behind them across the road are Phinney, Sicard, Cattaneo, Formolo and Wellens. Then Pinot and Warchol, Behind them Penasa, Novak, and Cort Nielsen. Pomoshnikov just out of the picture. The rest are out of it. Monsalve and Padun have both collapsed again.
600 meters, it is going to be a sprint finish, none of them showing signs of weakness.
Herklotz comes out of the saddle and gets an edge on Madrazo. Phinney trying to come around the Bralirwa rider. Sicad is next. Cattaneo paying for his earlier work has cracked.
Herklotz takes the stage win.
Madrazo just holds off Phinney for 2nd, the best race of the season for Madrazo. He should also be 2nd on GC. Sicard takes 4th.
Formolo 5th. Wellens eges Pinot for 6th. The Aegon rider was well protected throughout but perhaps lacks a little explosiveness in a finish like this.
Novak beats Warchol for 8th and Cort Nielsen comes through for 10th leaving Cattaneo in 11th. Penasa takes 12th and is the last rider awarded the same time as the winner. That is great news for Cattaneo as the bonus seconds he earned by being on the front are enough to move him up to 4th on GC.
Pomoshnikov takes 13th, 52 seconds down.
Cattaneo and Herklotz tie for the KOM lead on 20 points. No KOM points tomorrow so that is how that competition will end.
Ahlstrand retains the points lead. Hibatullah is the best young rider and Aegon lead the team’s competition.
Tour of East Java 
