Route d’Occitanie 2018 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

June 16, 2018

Route d’Occitanie 2018 – Stage 3 – Prat-Bonrepaux – Les Monts d’Olmes : 198,4 km

The Route d’Occitanie is a road bicycle race with 4 stages held annually in Southern France. It was first held in 1977 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is usually held a week before the Tour de France.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) claimed victory on the most demanding stage of the Route d’Occitanie after beating Daniel Navarro (Cofidis) and Kenny Elissonde (Team Sky) to win on the fog-shrouded summit of Les Monts d’Olmes.

Only 30 riders were left in the front group after the passage over the climbs of the Port de Lers and Col du Chioula, and Valverde went on the offensive on the opening ramps of the final 15-kilometre haul to the finish.

Elissonde and Navarro went on the attack with Valverde, and the Sky rider made several attempts to shake the Spanish pair loose ahead of the summit. Valverde proved a redoubtable foe, however, and the veteran unfurled a crisp acceleration of his own near the summit to take the win and move into the overall lead.

Navarro placed second on the stage, two seconds down, while Elissonde placed third at seven seconds. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) took fourth at 1:03, just ahead of Sebastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ).

The Route d’Occitanie (formerly the Route du Sud) is Valverde’s first race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April and his final tune-up ahead of next month’s Tour de France, where he will form a fearsome triumivirate for Movistar alongside Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa.

“It was a very demanding stage, and even if the weather conditions were really good for most of it, the final section was foggy and slightly rainy, and made for dangerous descents – but it really wasn’t that big of a problem,” Valverde said.

“At the final split with Navarro and Elissonde, I was able to stay calm and follow their moves without much suffering – we were going on the attack in the beginning, but later understood it was better to cooperate, at least before the final slopes. They tried to drop me back into the final section because they knew I would be faster into a sprint, but I was able to keep their pace and grab the win.”

Valverde carries a lead of six seconds over Navarro into Sunday’s final stage, with Elissonde in third at 12 seconds.

Results :
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 5:28:53
2 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:00:02
3 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky 0:00:06
4 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:01:03
5 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:04
6 Antonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:01:06
7 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:09
8 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:32
9 Georg Preidler (Aut) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:50
10 Ricardo Vilela (Por) Manzana Postobon
11 Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Nor) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:01:55
12 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:02
13 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Astana Pro Team 0:02:08
14 Thomas Joly (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:02:38
15 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:02:50
16 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:07
17 Brice Feillu (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:03:13
18 Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:03:43
19 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:05:53
20 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:06:19
21 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Team Sky 0:06:38
22 Jérémy Maison (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:06:41
23 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
24 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:06:58
25 Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:07:15
26 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
27 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:07:48
28 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:07:51
29 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:07:56
30 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:08:26
31 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:04
32 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:09:39
33 Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:10:03
34 Joaquim Silva (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:10:40
35 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:11:45
36 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:11:55
37 Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:12:00
38 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:12:09
39 Nicolas Baldo (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:12:49
40 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team 0:13:10
41 Pierre Gouault (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:13:19
42 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
43 Camille Thominet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
44 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky
45 Salim Kipkemboi (Ken) Bike Aid 0:13:41
46 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:13:44
47 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:14:12
48 Hernan Ricardo Aguirre Caipa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:14:25
49 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:15:27
50 Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:15:53
51 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
52 Jerome Mainard (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
53 Julien Amadori (Fra) Project Nice Cote d’Azur
54 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
55 Suleiman Kangangi (Ken) Bike Aid
56 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
57 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:16:47
58 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:17:48
59 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:18:25
60 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:19:01
61 Moreno Moser (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:19:04
62 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
63 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie 0:19:18
64 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:19:28
65 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:20:47
66 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:21:27
67 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie 0:22:25
68 Geoffrey Kiprotich Langat (Ken) Bike Aid 0:22:39
69 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:22:53
70 Simon Antonini (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:22:55
71 Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:23:33
72 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
73 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:24:52
74 Nuno Bico (Por) Movistar Team
75 Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
76 Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:25:03
77 Beñat Txoperena Matxikote (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:25:12
78 Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie
79 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:29:25
80 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:33:19
81 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
82 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:33:43
83 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:33:58
84 Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie
85 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Sky 0:40:27
86 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team Sky
87 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
88 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Sky
89 Josu Zabala Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
90 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
91 Fabio Duarte (Col) Manzana Postobon
92 Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:40:58
93 Erwann Corbel (Fra) Vital Concept Club
94 Tom Dernies (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole
95 Meron Abraham (Eri) Bike Aid
96 Stéphane Cognet (Fra) Project Nice Cote d’Azur 0:41:13
DNF Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
DNF Maxime Daniel (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
DNF Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
DNF Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Clement Chevrier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
DNF Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
DNF Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
DNF Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) Manzana Postobon
DNF Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
DNF Jonas Van Genechten (Bel) Vital Concept Club
DNF Brendan Cole (Aus) Project Nice Cote d’Azur
DNF Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNF Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
DNS Damien Touze (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 13:48:23
2 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:00:06
3 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky 0:00:12
4 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:01:12
5 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:14
6 Antonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:01:16
7 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:19
8 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:42
9 Georg Preidler (Aut) Groupama-FDJ 0:02:00
10 Ricardo Vilela (Por) Manzana Postobon
11 Sindre Skjøstad Lunke (Nor) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:02:05
12 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:12
13 Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Astana Pro Team 0:02:18
14 Thomas Joly (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:02:48
15 Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:03:00
16 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:17
17 Brice Feillu (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:03:20
18 Javier Moreno Bazan (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:03:53
19 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:06:03
20 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:06:29
21 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Team Sky 0:06:48
22 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:06:51
23 Jérémy Maison (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic
24 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:07:08
25 Kevin Le Cunff (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:07:25
26 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
27 Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:07:54
28 Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:08:01
29 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:08:36
30 Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:14
31 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:09:49
32 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:10:03
33 Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:10:13
34 Joaquim Silva (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:10:50
35 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:11:55
36 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:12:05
37 Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:12:18
38 Nicolas Baldo (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:12:59
39 Camille Thominet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:13:29
40 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
41 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky
42 Pierre Gouault (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
43 Salim Kipkemboi (Ken) Bike Aid 0:13:51
44 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:13:54
45 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:14:22
46 Hernan Ricardo Aguirre Caipa (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:15:27
47 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:15:56
48 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:16:03
49 Damien Gaudin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:16:56
50 Romain Seigle (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:16:57
51 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team 0:17:13
52 Julien Amadori (Fra) Project Nice Cote d’Azur 0:17:18
53 Zhandos Bizhigitov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
54 Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:17:25
55 Sergio Samitier Samitier (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias
56 Jerome Mainard (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:17:41
57 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Samsic 0:18:35
58 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:19:01
59 Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:19:14
60 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:19:20
61 Moreno Moser (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:20:36
62 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie 0:20:50
63 Bernardo Albeiro Suaza Arango (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:20:57
64 Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:23:13
65 Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:23:38
66 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:24:02
67 Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:24:25
68 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:24:46
69 Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:25:02
70 Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:25:21
71 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie 0:25:30
72 Simon Antonini (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:25:54
73 Beñat Txoperena Matxikote (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias 0:26:07
74 Johan Le Bon (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:26:50
75 Yohann Gene (Fra) Direct Energie 0:28:03
76 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence KTM 0:29:35
77 Suleiman Kangangi (Ken) Bike Aid 0:31:37
78 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:33:29
79 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Roubaix Lille Metropole
80 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:33:53
81 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:34:04
82 Jerome Cousin (Fra) Direct Energie 0:36:49
83 Geoffrey Kiprotich Langat (Ken) Bike Aid 0:40:09
84 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team 0:40:33
85 Nuno Bico (Por) Movistar Team 0:40:36
86 Christopher Lawless (GBr) Team Sky 0:40:37
87 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
88 Kevin Reza (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:41:08
89 Fabio Duarte (Col) Manzana Postobon 0:42:34
90 Erwann Corbel (Fra) Vital Concept Club 0:43:38
91 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Team Sky 0:44:09
92 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Sky 0:44:26
93 Josu Zabala Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:56:11
94 Meron Abraham (Eri) Bike Aid 0:56:36
95 Tom Dernies (Bel) Roubaix Lille Metropole 0:56:42
96 Stéphane Cognet (Fra) Project Nice Cote d’Azur 1:01:07