2021 Itzulia Basque Country Stage 3 Results & Recap
Stage 3 of the 2021 Itzulia Basque Country is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Pogačar wins stage 3
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) claimed the top honors in Ermaulde on the third day of racing at Itzulia Basque Country. The Slovenian showdown on the final climb was highly anticipated, with Pogacar striking out in the final 500 metres and pressuring race leader Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma), who was the first to attack on the decisive climb. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) took third on the day.
"Others have good legs and they will be important in the rest of the race, we have to be careful of everybody," he said after the race. "But it was a super-important win, and we will see what happens in the next three days. The gap between me and Primož is slowly getting smaller now, although it's still quite big for three stages. I'll just have to keep fighting.
Roglič now leads the race by 20 seconds ahead of Pogačar. Brandon Mcnulty (UAE-Team Emirates) is third at 30 seconds.
“It’s a shame I didn’t win in the end, but I’m happy with my form," Roglic said. "The final climb was very hard and intense. At 500 metres from the finish it came to a halt and some riders came back as a result. Then Tadej was just a little bit better in the sprint and he deserved this victory.
“I’m happy that I’m doing well and that I’m still in the lead. I have to be vigilant for any attacks in the coming days. We have to look at it day by day. The big goal is to win this race. In the end, it doesn’t matter to me if I win with one second or with a five minute difference."
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