Tour of the Basque Country 2016: Stage 3 – Stephen Cummings soloes to tight victory, Landa retains lead

At 193.5 kilometres, stage 3 in the Tour of the Basque Country leads to Lesaka. The last 30 kilometres are spiced up with three mountain tops, but the race is decided by a late Cummings attack. The Briton soloes to a tight victory in Cummings style. Mikel Landa retains the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results stage 3 Tour of the Basque Country

1. Stephen Cummings (gbr)
2. Simon Gerrans (aus) s.t.
3. Fabio Felline (ita) s.t.
4. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) s.t.
5. Giovanni Visconi (ita) s.t.
6. Simon Clarke (aus) s.t.
7. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
8. Pelle Bilbao (spa) s.t.
9. Sergei Chernetckii (rus) s.t.
10. Sergio Henao (col) s.t.

GC after stage 3
1. Mikel Landa (spa)
2. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 0.01
3. Sergio Henao (col + 0.05
4. Samuel Sanchez (spa) + 0.09
5. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.11
6. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + + 0.13
7. Rui Costa (por) + 0.15
8. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
9. Robert Gesink (nld) s.t.
10. Sebastien Reichenbach (swi) s.t.

Race report
Kadri, Denifl, Goncalves, Oomen and Teklehaimanot are inspirered by the sunshine in the Basque Country and they jump clear to race to a maximum lead at 5’20” just before hitting the Uitzi, the first climb of the day. Then the peloton takes control.

Approaching the last three climbs the gap is down to 1 minute.

At the Aritxulegi Oomen and Denifl leave their companions behind, while Albasini, Cataldo, Navarro and De Plus are chasing. At the Agiña Adam Yates and Rolland join the chasers and Albasini is dropped. Denifl is the first to crest and he plunges down as the sole leader, but in the drop he is accompanied by all chasers. The peloton is half a minute adrift.

At the last climb Navarro goes solo, yet he is chased down with 2 kms left by both chasers and peloton. Without respite Stephen Cummings escapes to solo to a tight victory as the peloton is breathing down his neck. Gerrans outsprints the pack, but he is too late to win.

The GC remains unchanged.