Meters away from glory
18 August 2016

Tour du Limousin (st. 3)

Marc Soler delivers excellent performance at Limousin's most demanding stage: several attacks into final break, caught just 3km from the end; Jesús Herrada takes 2nd behind Colbrelli (BAR) at elite group's sprint in Liginiac

The Movistar Team displayed again their courage all over the most demanding stage of the 49th Tour du Limousin. Stage three of the race in central France, a 180km trek between Loncaz and Liginiac, saw the squad directed by José Luis Jaimerena never leaving the front of the race for a single meter, after Marc Soler drove the pace into an excellent breakaway which almost brought glory to Eusebio Unzué’s ranks.

Following a furious, opening 60km, with Carapaz and other Blues seeking the break of the day, Soler made an eight-man group which was never allowed more than three minutes over a selected peloton led by GC leader Joey Rosskopf’s BMC team. The red train started pushing hard into the final loop around the finish, as Soler started making his rivals struggle: two consecutive attacks, the latter one already into the decisive climb of Roche-le-Peyroux (Cat-3), got him into a solo adventure caught just 3km from the finishing line.

At the final sprint, Jesús Herrada was only beaten by Sonny Colbrelli (BAR), the man whom he contested overall victory in 2015. The allrounder from Cuenca will have a final chance tomorrow into another lumpy circuit in Limoges (185km).

Results

Picture ©: Tour du Limousin