Stage 3 is the favorite day of the race for the cobblers. 158k with all of the 7 sectors of cobbles in the last 50k. With a Cat 3 and two Cat 4s the climber’s jersey will be awarded for the first time as well.
Maybe in recognition of the climbs Per and Gerts join Pedersen atop the favorites list.
About 14k gone and 14 riders have a gap of 1’17. The peloton has shut down a number of additional attacks and Gazelle and Puma still riding pretty hard on the front. In the break are: Blume Levy Renard Potts Finkst Meiler Neilands Robeet Ariesen Moricz Atkins Ulloa Horvat Buttigieg Dujardin
Gazelle really don’t like this break and keep up the chase with Godon and Hofer. With 110k to go the lead is only 49 seconds
Lander is the next man to the pump and with 93k to go the lead is still only 45 seconds.
Gazelle gets some help from Puma (Hollman, Nieuwenhuis) and with 59k to go and 9k to the first cobbled section (the Huisepontweg, 1.4k) the lead is just 37 seconds. The fast pace has split with the peloton with the first 35 riders having a 26-second lead.
Hollmann leads the front part of the peloton on to the cobbles with a deficit of 24 seconds to the break and a gap of 36-seconds to the rest of the peloton. All the big cobblers are in the right group but among the non-cobbler favorites only Wirtgen has made the split.
The second cobble section sees an end to the break as a 45-rider group comes together at the front with 46k to go. The peloton has been splitting and reforming. Right now, some of the non-cobbler GC riders like Pidcock, Kung, and De Bie have made it back across.
With 3k to the sprint point we get the first attack. It is Spengler, Teunissen, and Nommela.
Nommela takes first ahead of Spengler and Teunissen. Nommela is wearing green but only borrowing it from Gross. These points won’t change that. Dekker tried to join them but didn’t make it. The peloton officially back in one piece right now. The next landmark is the third and hardest cobbled sector, the Quaremont, which also carries Cat 3 KOM points.
Spengler and Teunissen continue their attack after the sprint point but Lidl brings them back and Per and Wisniowski immediately counter.
Their lead gets up to 24 seconds but then Sweeck commits to the chase and with 33k to go and 5k to the Quaremont they have just 9 seconds.
Sweeck can’t quite close the gap and as the leaders hit the bottom of the Quaremont (1.7k at 5.6%) they still have 13 seconds. Teunissen launching an attack behind. Peloton still at 179 riders but there is a pretty steady diet of short climbs and cobbles sectors from here.
Teunissen makes it across but then gets dropped by the other two and falls back to Pedersen, and Anderberg who attacked out of the peloton on the climb. Wisniowski and Per reach the top with a 21 second lead over the Pedersen group and 41 on the peloton which is being led by Gerts. Wisniowski gets the maximum KOM points.
Teunissen picks up the last 2 KOM points.
Wisiniowski and Per hit the next climb, the Paterberg (0.5k at 12%) with 25 seconds on the Pedersen group and 47 seconds on a 33-rider chase group that emerged over the Quaremont. Sulimov leading that right now. Pidcock is well-placed in that group and Wirtgen is the last man to make it but other puncheurs like De Bie and Stannard are further back. Van Hooydonck and Altur also missing from the main chase group and they are leading the next group on the road. 22k to go for the leaders.
Per edges Wisiniowski at the top. Behind various groups have come together to form a 59-rider chase group 39 seconds behind the leaders. But that could change quickly again over the top of this climb. Right now, among the TT/Cobblers - Cosnefroy, Van Baarle and Kung are present but Cavagna is well back. Puma appear to have wasted energy in a doomed attempt to protect the leader’s jersey.
Pedersen gets the last point this time. The front two are tied for the KOM lead. There is one more Cat 4 climb but it is just 4k from the finish. The peloton crumbles over the top and some of the strong cobblers get a gap.
20k banner. Per dropped Wisniowki over the top of the Paterberg and the Pole is still trying to catch back up. Behind Pedersen is riding solo in third, he can barely be seen through the rain. Then a number of small groups behind that. 3.2k to the Koppenberg, which is the next cobbled section.
Full race situation:
Wisniowski is unable to catch Per on his own, instead it is Pedersen who tracks him down on the Koppenberg while Gerts almost brings Wisniowski and Teunissen back up. Behind them it is 44 seconds to Anderberg and then another 13 seconds to a 46-rider group that includes many of the other favorites including De Bie, Stannard and Ardila. But not Romo or Higuita.
Over the top a strong threesome of Pedersen, Gerts and Per emerge at the front. They have 42 seconds on the next group of 47 with Senechal having brought back the rest of the attackers. 2.1k to Mariaborrestraat which is the next cobbled sector. 15k in the stage.
The leaders complete the Mariaborrestraat and the next cobbled section expanding the lead over the main chase group of 41 riders to 1’13. They are about to start the Taaienberg, which comes 10.5k from the end. Senechal is bravely trying to bridge up to the leaders, right now he is 26 seconds down. Lampawog leading the chase group.
At the top of the climb Gerts ramps up the pressure, Per is dropped, Pedersen just holding on.
Gerts goes again on the flat but Pedersen hangs on. He still has to survive a Cat 4 climb. The front two have 24 seconds on Per, 40 on Senechal and 1’35 on the peloton.
Behind De Bie, Sulimov and Ardila have been dropped from the chase group which is still being led by Lampawog, nobody seems willing to help him. Gaday also missing.
Gerts and Pedersen reached the Eikenberg with a lead of 45 seconds on Per and Senechal, who have come together, and 2’13 on the chase group. This is turning into a GC winning move. Altur has been dropped from the chase group (or he dropped back to help Ardila).
Gerts can’t shake Pedersen on the climb. 4k left, these two will fight out the stage win. Altur has brought a large bunch of riders back to the chase group, now 49 in that group. Maybe the reinforcements will speed up their chasing. Right now the gap is 2’32 with Per and Senechal at 1’32.
Per take the final point on the climb and will wear the KOM jersey tomorrow.
Inside the 1k banner Gerts launches his sprint and Pedersen has no response.
Gerts wins Stage 3. He may just have secured Rabobank’s stay in the Pro Tour, although one of their rivals will get 2nd.
Pedersen settles for 2nd, losing 21 seconds to Gerts’ late blitz. Behind Skujins and Ardila have been dropped from the chase group which is being led by Van Hooydonck.
Per gaps Senechal in the last kilometer and easily takes 3rd, 1’28 down. 4th for the Frenchman on 1’52, but a nice move to gain significant time on the rest of the favorites.
The next group of 35 riders comes in 3’02 down, the cobble specialists really made them pay. Philipsen edges Pidcock for 5th. Schmid, Stannard, Wisniowski and Polanc complete the top 10.
Gerts takes over the GC lead. Philipsen retakes the points lead. Pidcock leads the young riders standings but in a 5-way tie with. Grieg take over the team lead ahead of Rabobank and Tinkoff. Tinkoff have the scoring edge over Gazelle so far in the battle at the top of the PT standings.
Tour of Northern Europe 
