2018 Tour de Suisse Stage 3 Results & Recap
Stage 3 of the 2018 Tour de Suisse is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Colbrelli sprints to win in Gansignen
On a stage seemed made for world champion Peter Sagan, Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) came out on top in a frenetic, rain-soaked sprint to the line in Gansingen to win the third stage of the Tour de Suisse. Colombian Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) finished a close second while Saga, wedged in tightly between the two sprinters, took third.
I love cycling because is unpredictable,” Colbrelli wrote on Twitter after his win today. “Yesterday I felt empty without legs, while today I sprinted for almost 300m getting a great win You need to believe it, until the finish-line. Thanks to Bahrain Merida for today mega-work.”
Stefan Küng (BMC Racing Team) finished safely in the peloton to maintain his lead ahead of teammate Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) by three seconds. In fifth place, Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) is the first non-BMC rider on GC at 16 seconds back.
The 182 kilometre stage had a quiet start after Fabien Grellier (Direct Energie), Calvin Watson (Aqua Blue Sort) and Filippo Zaccanti (Nippo-Vini Fantini) rode clear from the sleepy peloton in the five kilometre. The trio built up a lead of more than six minutes on the peloton led by BMC and Bora-Hansgrohe and it stayed hovering around that until BMC finally decided to pick up the pace before the finishing circuits in Gansingen.
Each time up the KOM climb, Grellier challenged Zaccanti for the KOM points, coming out on top on all of them. Watson, hunting for the points in the sprint competition, eventually was dropped and the gap waned to just a minute and 30 seconds. That’s when Christopher Juul-jensen (Michelton-SCOTT) launched himself into the break, breathing new life into the front group.
With 10 kilometres to go, the peloton took over proceedings and Bora Hansgrohe took charge, trying to get Sagan his second stage win of the tour. The final time up the category three summit, Sagan put in a huge attack of his own, attempting to shed some of his sprint rivals.
The bunch now reduced, they charged into Gansingen for the final kick to the line. Cobrelli went first at about 300 metres from the line and Gaviria accelerated from the other side of the road. Sagan chose the Colombian’s wheel, which ended up being the wrong choice as he was boxed in by the two in front at the line, unable to find space to accelerate.
Tomorrow’s stage is another 189 kilometre foray starting near the border of Germany and traveling southeast toward Lausanne, a gradual uphill almost the entire way.
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