Stage three of the Tour of Valencia was the queen stage of the race. Six categorised climbs, a steep gravel ramp to the finish and a total of more than 3600 metres of climbing promised a tough day in the mountains of Valencia. The breakaway of the day was caught with five kilometres to go. Aleksandr Vlasov launched his attack on the steep gravel section two kilometres from the finish line and immediately gained an advantage. Aleksandr took a phenomenal solo stage win and the overall lead of the race.
After being involved in a crash yesterday, Wilco Kelderman did not start today’s stage. He is not seriously injured but suffered some bruises and abrasions. In light of his upcoming goals, the decision was taken to focus on a quick recovery and his next races. After a crash in the peloton on today’s stage, Matthew Walls also had to leave the race.
From the Finish Line
“It was super steep and tough on the final climb but I like that kind of climbs. In the end I could take the win and the overall lead which I’m really happy about. I’ve seen a video of the climb and I immediately knew that I would launch my attack in those steep gravel ramps. An important victory for me and a great debut at BORA – hansgrohe. I guess that’s a good base to build on for the next goals.“ Aleksandr Vlasov
“Today we could exactly execute the plan we’ve had. Aleksandr was super strong, attacked on the gravel and took the stage win and overall lead. Unfortunately Wilco and Matthew had to leave the race today.“ Jean-Pierre Heynderickx, Sports Director
