Italian finishes over three minutes behind dominating Pogacar (UAD) at first mountain-top finish, as Movistar Team contenders are unable to keep up with strongest climbs.
/ Today’s route
As the GC went quite restricted to six or seven climbers who coped with Sunday’s crosswinds, the race would start to get decided on Tuesday at the mountain-top finish of Jebel Hafeet, the race’s best known climb, with its 10km at around 6% average. Before the ascent, roads were flat, wide and open.
/ Weather report
Winds were quite similar to previous days, with a consisten 20kph from the northwest. Temperatures also remained the same as in the opening two stages, around 27ºC.
/ Keys to the race
The first significant moment of the stage came before the start. The UAE Tour’s organising committee and RCS Sport had a very kind gesture towards the Movistar Team by observing a minute’s silence to remember our carerGary Baños, who passed away last Saturday. Our seven riders were featured at the front row of the peloton during the starting procedure. We deeply thank them for such a move.
The early break went from the gun, withThomas de Gendt (LTS) and Tony Gallopin (ACT) taking on a long adventure which the peloton, at times strung out due to crosswind attempts, caught with 9km to go. The Movistar Team experienced less difficulties than in previous occassions, with Torres, Elosegui and Carretero allowing their team-mates reach the foot of the ascent near the front.
Sadly, the Movistar Team riderswill to do well wasn’t matched by their legs, as the squad’s last men standing -Valverde, Pedrero and Villella– lost contact at about 7km from the top. The Italian was the top finisher from the Blues, more than three-and-a-half minutes behind Tadej Pogacar (UAD), who proved once again his class with a resounding victory over his biggest rival of the week, Adam Yates (IGD), to retain the leader’s jersey.
/ Upcoming goals
The sprinters should be back in action on Wednesday at what could be the first real bunch sprint of this year’s race, following the splits on Sunday’s opener. A long stage four (204km) will take the riders out and back to Al MarjanIsland, with no climbs on the route before Thursday’s decisive Jebel Jais ascent.