Stage 3 of Tour of Balkans covers 195k ending on the coast in Dubrovnik. The main obstacles are a series of the 3 climbs, that is covered twice, and two-step climb to the finish. The series includes a Cat 2 climb quickly followed by two Cat 4’s. There is another Cat 4 on the circuit (which is tackled an extra time) and another one near the beginning of the race making for a grand total of 7 Cat 4 climbs plus two Cat 2’s and Cat 2 points at the end. So, lots of KOM points.
There are also 3 sprint points. When this was stage 5 it was one of the decisive stages in the race, no reason to think that will change now it is Stage 3. In both the last two years the winner of this stage won the overall. Given Lopez already has the GC lead that seem like a trend that will likely continue if he wins this stage again.
The organizers recognize he is a danger and have him near the top of the favorites list. But we have to wonder if they watched the first two stages as they have De Bie at the top of that list.
The first KOM point is just 5k into the race. Aware of that KOM leader Hermans goes hard for it. But he overestimates himself and ends up getting passed by fellow break members Holmes and Zakarin (tied 2nd in KOM).
Hermans just holds off Carr for 3rd. But Zakarin moves 2 points closer to him (36-34 overall), that battle will has a long way to go assuming this group stay away. Right now many other attackers are trying to join them.
With 15k gone the front group has swelled to 14 with another 10 riders at 35 seconds and the peloton another 49 seconds back. We’ll check the riders once things settle down.
30k gone as the break rolls through the first sprint point. All 24 together and the peloton has eased off and is 2’05 back. So this looks like the break of the day.
The full list: Bergstrom Frisk, Veyhe Denz Gebrezgabihier, Moulingui, Ssabagwanya Delco Knotten Hermans Arissol, Zakarin Chaiyasombat Osorio Siddikov Gladysh, Tanovitchii Januskevicius Debusschere, Maesen Rojas Holmes Carr, Dekker, Jones
In addition to the two mentioned already, Gebrezgabihier has significant KOM points (5th, 22 points). He is also the best placed on GC at 3’34.
With 148k to go the riders are on the first lap of the circuit, their first climb is a fairly easy Cat 4. A group of 6 riders go off the front to fight for the points. Denz wins (5), then Hermans (3+36=39) just edges Delco 91). Peloton at 3’41.
130k to go as the break rolls through the 2nd sprint point. From here they start the 3-climb series. The first is the Cat 2 climb to Mocilji which is 4.5k at 8.1%. Peloton was over 4’30 back but has closed to 3’58 with a number of teams contributing.
13 riders reach the top together, the dropped riders more a reflection lack of interest in the KOM points. Denz is the big animator and he takes maximum points (10+5=15). Delco second (8+3=11), Holmes third (6+5=11). Hermans and Zakarin fail to score. Peloton back to 4’50.
Ssabagwanya (5 points) makes an early attack and the rest can’t quite bring him back before the first of the Cat 4s. Holmes (3+11=14) takes 2nd with Zakarin scoring 1 to move on to 35. The riders not among the front 13 are now more 2 minutes back, they will have some work to bring this group back.
Denz (5+15=20) just edges Holmes (3+14=17) at the third climb in the set. Hermans picks up 1 point to go to 40. The rest of the break is 1’51 down but now they have a long flat section to gain ground. Peloton at 4’38, 116k to go.
100k to go for the peloton, rain and 40k winds are probably complicating things for them. King Power, Moser and Evonik on the front. 4’32 to the front of the race. The second part of the break is still 45 seconds down on the leaders. Moulingui and Debusschere have been dropped from the 2nd breakaway group and their time at the front of the race is likely finished. Only 1 rider has been dropped from the peloton ( Atkins).
The 2nd breakaway group reaches the front just in time to see Hermans (5+40=45) win the initial Cat 4 on the second circuit. Holmes gets another 3 points (3+17=20) and Chaiyasombat picks up the last point. The lead is down to 3’48, about 20k until the 3 climb sequences starts again.
Over the climb Knotten is dropped from the break and looks to be unable to get back on.
The peloton also splits but that looks to be temporary. Although one of the men on the wrong side is De Bie (the Aegon rider visible in the picture). He may be following in the footsteps of Hagen in 2020. who also gave up on the GC after a poor start and then won Stage 8 from the breakaway.
2.5k to top of the Cat 2 as the break tackles the 3 climbs again. Hermans is dropped. In the peloton De Bie bridged up to the front group only to be caught behind another split. The rest of Aegon is behind the split as well but they don’t seem to be able to help.
Maesen drives the pace on the climb and splits off a group of four including him, Denz, and the Project Africa duo of Gebrezgabihier and Ssabagwanya. Delco trying to bridge up to them. Hermans got back on to the chase group. But Veyhe, Arissol, Tanovitchli, Dekker and Carr are dropped.
Delco dragged the rest back up to the 4 leaders but they immediately countered and took the KOM points. Ssabagwanya first (10+5=15), then Denz (8+20=28), Gebrezgabihier (6+22=28) and Maesen (4).
Behind the peloton is 3’09 behind and down to 49 riders. Other than De Bie notable riders missing include Quintana, Bobridge, and Prevar. Clearly the teams think this stage is too hard for the puncheurs. The highest-placed rider on GC missing is De Bie’s teammate Vansevenant (10th). A couple of lessor top 20 GC riders who had good stage 1s are also gone from the front. King Power and Xero on the front of the peloton.
On the first Cat 4 Ssabagwanya and Gebrezgabihier attack and build a 30-second lead, Maesen and Holmes have almost closed that by the top but the two Project Africa riders take the points. The former up to 20 points and the latter 31. Hermans and Rojas are dropped from the chase group and look done for the day.
By the time he reaches the top of the last climb in the set Ssabagwanya (25 points) has a lead of 1’02 over a threesome including his teammate, Maesen and Holmes and 1’40 over a 12-rider group with the other survivors of the break. The peloton at 3’15, all of Bobridge, De Bie and Quintana have managed to make it back to the front group more through their own efforts than any big regrouping as the front as the group is still only 48 riders. 60k to go, from here downhill and a long flat section before they tackle the first Cat 4 in the circuit one more time and then turn off towards the finishing climbs.
Gebrezgabihier takes 2nd on the climb moving himself to 34 points.
48k to go for the peloton. Xero and King Power working. The peloton did swell back to 102 riders but is now back to 82. Prevar rejoined but has been dropped again, as has Bobridge. De Bie is badly positioned again but still in the front group. Up front Ssabagwanya has 1’01 over the chase group which has caught the other three attackers.
The chase group closes to within 26 second but then eases off on the final Cat 4. By the top Ssabagwanya has a 55 second lead again. He takes 5 more points to get to 30 total. The chasing teams have run out of riders in the peloton and his lead is back to 4’19 over a 106 rider peloton.
Gladysh and Jones lead the chase group over the climb.
The full list of survivors chasing Ssabagwanya is: Gebrezgabihier Delco Hermans Zakarin Chaiyasombat Osorio Gladysh Tanovitchii Januskevicius Maesen Rojas Holmes Carr Jones
The KOM points have been split widely so Hermans still has a 10 point lead over 2nd placed Zakarin which means unless the latter wins the stage Hermans will have the jersey tomorrow.
The peloton crosses the final Cat 4, 5’08 down with Moser leading the chase but not chasing hard. Up front Tanovitchii, Hermans, Holmes, Carr, Maesen, Chaiyasombat and Osorio were dropped over the top of the this climb and look to be in trouble. 33k to ride.
12k to go for the leader, he has 21 seconds on the first 8 chasers and 1’05 on the next 7. The peloton is at 4’40 with Evonkik leading now, it has been stretching but has not split permanently. In 4k Ssabagwanya will start the final climb which is 8.5k at 4.3% but can also be seen as two climbs, the first one about 5k then 2k of descending and a 1.5k climb to the finish with grades up to 12%.
7.7k to go, the leaders are on the final climb. The chasers are struggling to close down Ssabagwanya, the good news for Project Africa is that Gebrezgabihier has been getting a free rider with this group. The next 7 are 37 seconds behind.
The peloton is still over 4 minutes behind the leader although Xero and King Power have started working again.
5k banner, Ssabagwanya is too strong for the chasers, his lead is back to 1’33. The peloton at 3’07.
De Plus launches the first attack from the peloton and is quickly up to the second chase group. Sagan, Gidich and Lopez lead the chase.
Under the 5k banner Gebrezgabihier takes off after his teammate who is 1’48 ahead, while De Plus catches the rest of the original breakaway with Sagan and Lopez on his wheel and the rest of the peloton behind them.
2k to go for Ssabagwanya, most of it uphill and steep. He has 1’32 on his teammate and 2’05 on the peloton where De Plus has launched a new attack.
2k to go for the peloton, it is every man for himself and they are beginning to stretch out. A front group of 10 has a small gap, it includes Lopez, Beltran, Novak, Sagan, Gidich, Areruya, Kwiatkowski, Valter, Sicard and De Plus. Gebrezgabihier has 30 seconds and Ssabagwanya 1’50.
1k banner. An attack from Beltran puts an end to Gebrezgabihier’s time out front. His teammate still has 1’06 on this group but also 600 meters of hard climbing to go. Kraftwerk is leading a group of 51 chasers 34 seconds behind.
Lopez goes next, he looks strongest in this chase group.
300 meters for Ssabagwanya, he has enough left to stand on the pedals one last time. Lopez looks spent behind and the 51 rider chase group has made contact with the Lopez group.
What a ride by Ssabagwanya, they will be celebrating in Uganda. He goes over 60k solo to win the stage.
This race seems to encourage that kind of adventure, Jensen won stage 4 last year with a similar solo effort.
Lopez takes 2nd he seems to have a small gap but we will see what is awarded.
Beltran takes the last of the bonus seconds, then it is De Plus and Sicard. Koretzky comes out of the pack to grab 6th ahead of Gesbert and Valter.
Gidich edges Sagan to complete the top 10. Carthy finishes with them for 11th.
Ssabagwanya holds on to a 31 second gap at the end. Lopez gets 10 seconds on the next 9 through Carthy who all get the same time. The next group, which includes Areruya, Novak, Quintana and Monsalve lose another 9 seconds. De Bie ends up in 25th 1’33 down, which isn’t good but better than it looked at some points of the race, not clear what Aegon’s strategy will be going forward.
Lopez now leads Beltran by 26 seconds in the GC and Gidich by 30. Valter and Sagan round out the top 5. Valter is also in the White Jersey, great race so far from him considering he is still developing. Lopez also leads in the points and Kraftwerk have the teams lead.
Balkans International 
