Team News: Win for Sky on Stage 3 of Pais Vasco

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Team Sky’s Sergio Henao battled his way elbow to elbow to victory on stage 3 of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco to move into the race lead on stage three with Richie Porte now 3rd overall.

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The Team Sky rider went elbow to elbow with compatriot Carlos Betancur (AG2R-La Mondiale) on the final climb in Trapagaran to win by half a wheel-length in an exciting mountaintop battle. Victory on the climb, which ramped up to 21%, elevated Henao into an eight-second race lead in the Basque Country stage race while team-mate Richie Porte completed a great day for Team Sky with sixth on the stage, enough to move into third overall, 10 seconds back.

Video of the final few kilometres

A consistent opening trio of stages also saw Henao pull on the points jersey. The 25-year-old had been active on the final climb of the Alto de la Lejana, kicking early on to thin out the lead group before attacking a second time in the final metres, bridging across to Betancur and fellow escapee Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) on the crowd lined climb.

Caruso held on for third ahead of a number of GC contenders, led home by Nairo Quintana (Movistar) eight seconds back while Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), Porte, Alberto Contador (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) and Simon Spilak (Katusha) claimed places five-through-eight, all 10 seconds back.

The stage was a key battleground in the fight for the general classification and the 167 kilometre race kicked off with no-one able to break clear on the run out of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Five men eventually broke the elastic and made a move stick ahead of the opening climb of the Alto de Zarate.

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Photo: http://vueltapaisvasco.diariovasco.com

Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural) was yet again in an agressive mood by attacking for the third day in a row alongside team-mate Omar Fraile, Mikel Landa (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Daniel Navarro (Cofidis). Movistar came to the front and set a hard pace as the race entered the final climbs, finally consuming the breakaway with 9km left ahead of the Alto de la Lejana.

In the finale, the big names came to the fore on the steep early slopes, Henao taking it up to leave just 10 riders at the head of affairs before a brief regrouping as the gradient slackened off. A brief descent saw a speculative dig from Betancur and Caruso causing the favourites to look around before Henao launched his winning attack.

Stage 3
1. HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis Sky Procycling 03:54:22
2. BETANCUR GOMEZ Carlos Alberto AG2R La Mondiale @ st
3. CARUSO Giampaolo Katusha Team 00:05
4. QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander Movistar Team 00:08
5. ULISSI Diego Lampre – Merida 00:10
6. PORTE Richie Sky Procycling @ st
7. CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto Team Saxo-Tinkoff @ st
8. SPILAK Simon Katusha Team @ st
9. ANTON HERNANDEZ Igor Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:16
10. SANCHEZ GONZALEZ Samuel Euskaltel – Euskadi 00:21

52. GILBERT Philippe BMC Racing Team 02:43
60. SCHLECK Andy RadioShack – Leopard 03:04
106. CUMMINGS Stephen BMC Racing Team 10.19
126. TIERNAN-LOCKE Jonathan Sky Procycling 13.21

Overall
1. HENAO MONTOYA Sergio Luis Sky Procycling 12:24:26
2. QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander Movistar Team 00:08
3. PORTE Richie Sky Procycling 00:10
4. CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto Team Saxo-Tinkoff @ st
5. CARUSO Giampaolo Katusha Team @ st
6. SPILAK Simon Katusha Team @ st
7. FUGLSANG Jakob Astana Pro Team 00:21
8. WEENING Pieter Orica GreenEDGE @ st
9. HERRADA LOPEZ Jose Movistar Team @ st
10. BETANCUR GOMEZ Carlos Alberto AG2R La Mondiale @ st

57. SCHLECK Andy RadioShack – Leopard 04:28
101. TIERNAN-LOCKE Jonathan Sky Procycling 14.05
143. CUMMINGS Stephen BMC Racing Team 25:25

 

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