Picture 1 of 10
Tim Wellens (UAE Crew Emirates) received stage 3 of the Vuelta a Andalucía in Alcalá de los Gazules on a day conditioned by the extreme winds that pressured the removing of the deliberate ultimate climb to the end.
The Belgian was a part of a bunch of 21 riders that solid clear early on, and he tailored nicely to the brand new configuration within the finale, urgent away from his companions on what would have been the penultimate climb with 1.3km remaining to win by 14 seconds and declare his crew’s third stage win in as many days.
Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) took second place forward of Samuele Battistella (Astana-Qazaqstan) and Connor Swift (Ineos), whereas Laurenz Rex (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) – probably the most aggressive of the escapees within the finale – needed to accept fifth.
With the brief, sharp climb of the Alto de Alcalá de los Gazules stricken from the route beforehand, race chief Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) appeared content material to take a break from hoovering up victories and grant the early escapees their freedom. It helped, after all, that his new teammate Wellens was a agency favorite to land the fifth Ruta del Sol stage win of his profession.
Three minutes or so after Wellens got here residence, Pogačar couldn’t resist delivering one other present of power on the final by main the peloton up the mild rise in the direction of the end to retain his grip on the yellow jersey.
After profitable the opening two levels, Pogačar carries a lead of 48 seconds over Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) into the weekend, with Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos) each an extra 4 seconds behind.
The way it unfolded
With 75 kph winds forecast for the end, the Vuelta a Andalucía organisation took the sage determination to excise the uncovered ultimate climb to Alto de Alcalá de los Gazules from the route, a choice that instantly heightened the chances of the day’s early break going the space.
Wellens, Latour, Battistella, Swift, Rex, Houle, De Bondt, Díaz and Barthe had been joined within the transfer by Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious), Salvatore Puccio (Ineos Grenadiers), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural), Erik Fetter, Davide Bais (Eolo-Kometa), Liam Slock (Lotto-Dstny), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Ibai Azurmendi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Felix Engelhardt (Jayco AlUla), Samuel Gaze, Stefano Oldani (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies).
The escapees discovered widespread trigger for a lot of the day, constructing a lead of 4 minutes over the UAE-led peloton, although the group was in perpetual danger of splitting into shards each time it swung right into a crosswind part.
The escapees confronted right into a stiff headwind after the day’s lone categorised climb to Medina Sidonia, nevertheless, and that restricted assaults on the run-in, whereas the unlucky Cyril Barthe (Burgos-BH) suffered the indignity of being blown off the street with 12km or so remaining.
But although it will need to have appeared like using via treacle at instances, Rex was a repeat attacker within the finale. He first went on the offensive with 11km remaining, drawing curiosity from gravel World Champion Dries De Bondt (Alpecin-Deceuninck). They had been swept up quickly afterwards however that didn’t dissuade them from one other, extra enduring assault with 5km to go.
With the peloton over three minutes down, nevertheless, Wellens knew he had the liberty to chase stage victory and he labored to reel in De Bondt and Rex with 3km to go. Simply as he did so, nevertheless, Battistella, José Manuel Díaz (Burgos-BH) and Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) jumped clear and as they approached the outskirts of Alcalá de los Gazules, it appeared as if the profitable transfer may need ghosted clear.
Wellens, nevertheless, was merely bided his time for the brief however stiff ascent that led the race into the ultimate kilometre. The incline was purported to have been the preamble to the ultimate kick to deliberate end on the Alto de Alcalá de los Gazules, however now it was the final accessible springboard.
Wellens wasn’t going to let the chance go him by, and his forcing splintered the chasing group and pinned again the main trio. The Belgian caught them with 1.3km to go and instantly pressed on, reaching the flamme rouge with a profitable hole and sustaining that benefit to the road.
Outcomes powered by FirstCycling (opens in new tab)
