Tour of Valencia 2023: Velasco wins from the breakaway, Ciccone still leader

image: Cor VosIt looks like an easy catch, but no. Breakaway riders Simone Velasco, Bob Jungels and Jonas Gregaard manage to hold off the charging peloton before Velasco sprints to victory in the 3rd stage of the Tour of Valencia. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage 2023 Tour of Valencia

1. Simone Velasco (ita)
2. Bob Jungels (lux) s.t.
3. Jonas Gregaard (den) s.t.
4. Alex Aranburu (spa) + 0.03
5. José Joaquín Rjas (spa) s.t.
6. Fred Wright (gbr) s.t.
7. Koen Bouwman (nld) s.t.
8. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
9. Pello Bilbao (spa) s.t.
10. Brandon McNulty (usa) s.t.

GC after stage 3
1. Giulio Ciccone (ita)
2. Pello Bilbao (spa) + 0.03
4. Aleksandr Vlasov (rus) + + 0.06
3. Alex Aranburu (spa) + 0.10
5. Anton Charmig (den) s.t.
6. Thomas Gloag (gbr) s.t.
7. Rui Costa (por) s.t.
8. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr) s.t.
9. Carlos Rodriguez (spa) + 0.16
10. Brandon McNulty (usa) + 0.18

Race report
It takes 25 kilometres of frentic action before Simone Velasco and Bob Jungels manage to go clear, while Lawson Craddock, Jonas Gregaard and Sander De Pestel latch on. The five open a gap of 4 minutes.

The gap falls to 2 minutes on the Port del Garbí. Then Craddock goes solo and he reaches the summit 20 seconds ahead of Jungels, Velasco and Gregaard. Yet, the three bring him back with 18 kilometres remaining. Moments later the American loses contact.

The peloton closes in in the last kilometres, but fails to make the catch. In the ensuing sprint-à-trios it is Velasco who celebrates ahead of Jungels and Gregaard. Ciccone crosses the line 3 seconds later in the belly of the peloton to stay in the GC lead.

Another interesting read: route 3rd stage 2023 Tour of Valencia.