Stage 3 of the Ronde van Nederland could also be subtitled the Puncheurs Stike Back. 9 cat 3 climbs and a number of other bumps across 208 kilometers. The question will be can they drop the sprinters who have accumulated bonus points so far.
Ackermann is the only one of those sprinters to make the favorites list for this stage, he might be the favorite for the GC at the start of the day. The rest of the favorites for this stage are the top punchy riders in the race. Today is why they came here. A number of teams, particularly Lidl, Tinkoff and cycleYorkshiire will have to choose between backing a their sprinters, who sit high in the GC and backing their puncheurs who are near the top of this favorites list.
10k gone. Stojnic out front on his own. The peloton has been shutting down additional attacks but now Zegklis and Krigbaum have escaped they are 48 seconds down on Stojnic and 23 seconds up on the peloton.
Those 3 are the break of the day, with 2k to the first Cat 3 they have 2’53 on the peloton. Stojnic starts with a 22-point lead in the KOM competition but the other two are both better climbers. Still with only 3 riders in the break he is guaranteed to get some points.
At the KOM point Zegklis takes 1st but Stojnic outsprints Krigbaum for 2nd.
Same story at the next climb. Krigbaum not a great sprinter.
And again. Stojnic has dropped only 6 points to Zegklis so far and still leads by 16. The peloton at 4’27 with Amaysim, cycleYorkshire and Zwift working.
At the fourth Cat 3 Krigbaum tries an early attack but the outcome is the same. Lead out to 5’32 with 155k to ride.
Stojnic shows some weakness at the 5th climb and finishes 3rd. 5 out of 5 wins for Zegklis so far. He is now just 10 points down. There are two more KOM climbs within 20k as long as Stojnic scores at both of them he will hold on to the lead. The last two climbs are in the last 30k of the stage, seems likely the break might be over by then.
Stojnic bounces back and wins the next sprint. Zegklis only 3rd. The KOM jersey looks secure on Stojnic’s shoulders.
A late burst from Krigbaum gives him his first win at the 7th and final KOM in the first half of the race. Stojnic leads Zegklis by 12 points overall. Zegklis would have to stay away and win both remaining KOM points with Stojnic not scoring in order to tie for the lead. The peloton having let the lead go to 7’31 now has it down to 5’40. Same 3 teams doing the work. 129k still to go.
81k to go the break's lead is down to 2’53. The work nearly all being done by Kennaugh, Walls, and Hansen. In 5k the break will reach the first sprint point. Krigbaum and Zegklis started the day just 28 seconds off the lead so theoretically these seconds could matter.
Zegklis and Krigbaum take the top two spots.
The first split in the peloton occurs with 68k to go. Aranburu trying to close it. Most of the puncheurs and leading sprinters are up front but Ahlstrand (10th on GC) and Wisniowski (6th) are in the 2nd group. The gap should be closed but perhaps a sign of things to come.
50k mark, lead down to 1’12, splits continuing to occur but nothing permanent yet. On the front are Dujardin Walls, Ryuki, and Hayter.
Zegklis and Krigbaum attack about 2k before the 2nd sprint and Stojnic loses the wheel. He has a gap of 16 seconds to close. The peloton another 50 seconds behind him. Zegklis wins the sprint, 38k to go.
5k to the first of the two KOM points in the closing kilometers. Stojnic is caught, the other two have 40 seconds. Andersen comes to the front to help with the chase. Peloton still intact.
500 meters to the top Krigbaum has a gap over Zegklis. The peloton coming to pieces behind but the front group are just 25 seconds back.
Krigbaum takes the points ahead of Andersen. Stojnic is the King of the Mountains. 70 riders in the front group, we’ll take stock as they hit the descent.
Gaudu leads the second group over 1’40 down. Green Jersey and 2nd on GC Samolenkov is one of those caught behind. Most of the big name puncheurs have made it although Stannard has not. Among the top 20 in GC missing the split are Ahlstrand (10th), Bush (14th), Philipsen (16th), Wohler (17th), and Jakobsen (18th)
2k to go in the final categorized climb, 21k to go in the race. Aker-MOT driving the pace with Suter, Andersen, Gabburo and Ariesen. The Gazelle rider is Malecki. The gap to the second big group is 1’28.
Malecki leads over the top, Lutsenko just behind him. De Bie, Lopez, and Gidich just behind him. The second group has closed to 1’14 but there could still be new splits.
15k to go, the Yellow Jersey is last wheel in the front group which is down to 50 riders, although none of those dropped were important. The chase group at 1’11, Gaudu on the front of that group with support from Polar. In about 5k there is a short but very steep uncategorized climb
With the climb in site Lutsenko attacks. Lopez on his wheel. The Yellow Jersey has worked himself back to a stronger position.
Over the top it is Lutsenko, followed by De Bie, Lopez, and Gidich. Behind them Skujins, Ackermann, Van der Lijke, Kinoshita and Hsu. Then Mohoric leading a group of Aker riders. No splits in the front group yet. One more short climb to go.
On the next climb Skujins and Kinoshita counter and get a gap.
Gidich works to shut down the two attackers. Further back Stannard has bridged up to the front group and more of the chasers could still make it back on.
Gidich can’t close the gap and sits down as the front two extend to a 17-second lead. Gaviria launches an attack behind. The front group is down to 33 and Keough (7th on GC) and Julius Van den Berg (15th) have been dropped.
5k banner. Gaviria has bridged up to the front two and Van der Lijke is trying. Wisniowski is leading the chase behind for Aker. Front group is down to 27 with Stannard dropped again.
4k to go, Van der Lijke can’t make the jump and Wisniowski runs out of steam so Lopez and De Bie have a go. The gap is 21 seconds.
2.3k, the front 3 might have lost their impetus as Kinoshita pulls off. Mohoric is leading the chase. At the back of the chase group Kemboi (3rd on GC) and Gerts have been distanced. But if the leaders hesitate, they could come back.
1k banner (which is closer to 1.5k), it is all back together which is what the sprinters wanted. Several top sprinters still in this group but it is gradually uphill to the line so gaps could occur.
Now really 1k to go, Kinoshita launches the sprint, Gaviria right behind him. Groves is the only other sprinter in the front row. Cullaigh right at the back, he looks to be in trouble.
700 meters, Gaviria sweeps past Kinoshita. The next row from left to right is Mohoric, McCarthy, Yates, Wisniowski, Groves, Skujins and Grosu.
400 meters for Gaviria but he is slowing and Kinoshita seems to be gaining on him. Both the Aker riders seem to be fading but Ackermann, Coquard and Ewan are making up ground. At the back Hsu has cracked and is dropping off but Kemboi is riding hard, if he can avoid a time gap he should finish with a strong GC position.
200 meters, Gaviria is paying for his more aggressive racing. Grosu has the lead. Cullaigh has moved into 10th which would get him some more bonus seconds. Kemboi’s charge has hit a wall, it doesn’t look like he will regain contact unless the gaps work in his favor.
Grosu got it all wrong in the first two stages but a beautifully timed sprint gives him the win in stage 3. Coquard, another rider who had a miserable stage 1 and 2, powers through for 2nd.
Ewan saves his best for last as well to take the final podium spot. Groves 4th then Gaviria and Kinoshita. Ackermann takes 7th.
Yates, Kanter and McCarthy wrap up the top 10.
The first 22 riders get the same time, which does not include Hsu or Kemboi. And with the time bonuses the winner of the 2023 Ronde Van Nederland is Groves, he was the most consistent and took advantage of his abilities on tougher terrain. He is also the best young rider.
Cullaigh settles for 2nd on GC which he would have taken before the race. Grosu and Coquard move up to 3rd and 4th with a great last day. Kinoshita is the first puncheur back in 11th. But if feels like it could have been a different story if the puncheurs had not neutralized each other in the closing 10k. A classics rider in Wisniowski grabs 7th.
Groves also wins the best young rider and points jersey with Jorgenson 2nd in the former and Cullaigh in the latter. Samolenkov does get 3rd in points although he drops well down the GC.
Aker-MOT and cycleYorkshire tie for the team jersey.
