Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2022 – Stage 3 [LAST 15 KM]

February 20, 2022

Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2022 – Stage 3 – Villefranche-sur-Mer – Blausasc : 112,6 km

The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var, which up until 2020 was known as the Tour du Haut Var, is a three-day stage race held in the hilly Var region of southeast France. The race often takes place in February, marking the start of the European stage racing season and the beginning of the long road towards the Tour de France in summer. Three hilly days in the Var mountains also serve as a perfect warm-up for those riders who are looking to find some form ahead of an action-packed spring season.

Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) took his second stage race victory of the month after overturning the Tour du Var general classification on a mountainous final day in Blausasc.

The Colombian was level on time with stage 2 winner Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) heading into Sunday’s final stage but put on a thrilling display up and down the Col de Saint Roch to win the race for the second time in three seasons.

Quintana had earlier jumped on a move by Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) on the descent on the major climb of the day after being launched by teammate Nicolas Edet for an attack on the way. On the long way down, he left the Frenchman behind to go solo for the stage and overall victory.

Wellens, chasing behind, linked up with a group of climbers – including Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ), and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) – fighting further back, with Pinot also dropping back for the final 10 kilometres of the stage.

Up front, though, Quintana was long gone, having pulled out over a minute on Wellens and the chase group. The 32-year-old crossed the line 1:21 ahead of the next best finisher, sealing overall victory with a stunning performance.

Martin chased in for second behind Quintana, but did not gain enough time to move ahead of Wellens in the general classification. Pinot sprinted against Vuillermoz with Wellens on their wheels in fifth but the Lotto Soudal man held onto second overall as the group rolled in 1:30 behind Quintana.

How it unfolded
With race leader Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) tied on time in the lead, the only chance for the Colombian to overtake his rival would be on the second category Col de Saint Roch with 43.5 kilometres to go. He had to go on the attack.

The stage from Villefranch-sur-Mer to Blausasc was just 113 kilometres long and started up the Col d’Eze, where eight riders tried to stretch their lead. Most prominently it was Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabheir (Trek-Segafredo) pushing the pace by Lotto Soudal shut down their gap before the summit.

Pinot continued on with his attacking ways on the descent, pulling Jonas Rutsch (EF EasyPost) and Emmanuel Morin (Nantes U Atlantique) away but again, they were reeled in.

Martin Tusveld (Team DSM) was next to attack but that didn’t work, and Francois Bidard (Cofidis) led the peloton across the intermediate sprint after 43 frantic kilometres. A big group split off the fron, gaining half a minute as they headed up the Côte de Berre.

Pinot was part of an attack that left the peloton to join the leaders as some riders dropped back, and when the dust settled, Michael Storer (Groupama-FDJ) led over the top with Roger Adria (Kern Pharma), Pinot and Mikael Chérel (AG2R Citroën) following.

The whittled down leading group included: François Bidard (Cofidis), Pinot, Storer, Chérel, Anthony Turgis and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), Asbjorn Hellemose (Trek-Segafredo), Romain Combaud and Mark Donovan (Team DSM), Nicolas Edet and Lukasz Owsian (Arkéa-Samsic), Roger Adria (Equipo Kern Pharma), and Maxime Jarnet (Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Métropole) in the lead.

Pinot and Storer took turns upping the pace and soon were alone with Vuillermoz but the peloton was not far behind. Soon, Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) sensed an opportunity to bridge across and attacked, drawing out Quintana, who was led out by teammate Nicolas Edet to catch Martin.

The Wellens group was just ten riders or so as Quintana picked up Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), then formed a group with Martin and Storer, too.

Pinot led over the Col de Saint Roch, with Quintana and Martin behind and closing. Quintana joined Pinot on the descent, with Martin, Storer and Vuillermoz behing chased by Wellens.

Wellens scrambled across to that group but ahead, Quintana distanced Pinot on the descent and opened up a huge gap.

Wellens was seeing the overall victory disappear up the road as Martin chased alone at 1:20 with 4km to go, and the Belgian was getting no help from his companions. Quintana, meanwhile, was on a tear and powered to the stage and the overall victory.

Results :
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic 2:55:17
2 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis 0:01:21
3 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:30
4 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies
5 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
6 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:37
7 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroen Team 0:02:25
8 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
9 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
10 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM
11 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
12 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
13 Louis Barre (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
14 Julien Simon (Fra) TotalEnergies
15 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team
16 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
17 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
18 James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
19 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
20 Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal
21 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
22 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
23 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM
24 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic
25 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo
26 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
27 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
28 Magnus Brynsrud (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
29 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
30 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 0:02:35
31 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:02:49
32 Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Riwal Cycling Team 0:03:31
33 Andréa Mifsud (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:03:50
34 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
35 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
36 Eugenio Sanchez Lopez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
37 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies
38 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:58
39 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
40 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team DSM
41 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
42 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
43 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
44 Asbjørn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
45 Maxime Jarnet (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
46 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:09:11
47 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:10:13
48 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
49 Jean Goubert (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
50 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
51 François Bidard (Fra) Cofidis
52 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
53 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis 0:10:43
54 Joris Delbove (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
55 Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Team DSM 0:11:25
56 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
57 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
58 Marco Tizza (Ita) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
59 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
60 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
61 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
62 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis
63 Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
64 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:12:04
65 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
66 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:12:13
67 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:14:03
68 Antoine Berlin (Mon) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:14:08
69 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:16:38
70 Jonas Rutsch (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost 0:17:30
71 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
72 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
73 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team
74 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
75 Danny van der Tuuk (Ned) Equipo Kern Pharma
76 Clément Carisey (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
77 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
78 Victor Koretzky (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:22:31
79 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
80 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal
81 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
82 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost
83 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Arkea-Samsic
84 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) EF Education-EasyPost
85 Tom Mainguenaud (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
86 Maël Guegan (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
87 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
88 Maxime Urruty (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
89 Julien Amadori (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
90 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
91 Jordan Jegat (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
92 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
93 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
94 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ
95 Tristan Delacroix (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur

Final General Classification :
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic 10:56:01
2 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:01:30
3 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis 0:01:48
4 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:02:50
5 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:52
6 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:55
7 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:02:57
8 Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal 0:03:52
9 James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost 0:03:56
10 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ 0:03:58
11 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
12 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM
13 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
14 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team
15 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:04:06
16 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM 0:04:11
17 Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Riwal Cycling Team 0:05:12
18 Andréa Mifsud (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:05:36
19 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:07:01
20 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 0:07:11
21 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:07:31
22 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroen Team 0:07:59
23 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic
24 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:08:27
25 Julien Simon (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:09:22
26 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM 0:09:30
27 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
28 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 0:09:32
29 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 0:10:37
30 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:10:55
31 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 0:11:32
32 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 0:13:26
33 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:14:14
34 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:14:51
35 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis 0:15:27
36 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team 0:15:47
37 François Bidard (Fra) Cofidis
38 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis 0:17:07
39 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies 0:17:10
40 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:17:39
41 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team DSM
42 Joris Delbove (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:17:40
43 Marco Tizza (Ita) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:17:47
44 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:18:10
45 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:18:53
46 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93 0:18:54
47 Louis Barre (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:19:01
48 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
49 Jean Goubert (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:20:15
50 Eugenio Sanchez Lopez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:20:18
51 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
52 Maxime Jarnet (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:21:19
53 Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Team DSM 0:21:27
54 Magnus Brynsrud (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:22:18
55 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team 0:23:14
56 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
57 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:23:43
58 Antoine Berlin (Mon) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:24:10
59 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:24:36
60 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:25:39
61 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:26:05
62 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:26:38
63 Asbjørn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:27:06
64 Danny van der Tuuk (Ned) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:27:38
65 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:28:02
66 Victor Koretzky (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:28:05
67 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:29:11
68 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
69 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team 0:29:19
70 Jonas Rutsch (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost
71 Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:30:41
72 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:31:27
73 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:32:51
74 Tristan Delacroix (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:34:12
75 Axel Mariault (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:34:20
76 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:34:30
77 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
78 Maxime Urruty (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:34:51
79 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost 0:35:06
80 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies 0:37:10
81 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) EF Education-EasyPost 0:38:20
82 Clément Carisey (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:38:28
83 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:39:07
84 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis 0:40:22
85 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Arkea-Samsic 0:40:40
86 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:41:14
87 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 0:42:24
88 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
89 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
90 Tom Mainguenaud (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:43:29
91 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:45:15
92 Jordan Jegat (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:45:18
93 Maël Guegan (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:45:36
94 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:49:53
95 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Cycling Team 0:51:10
96 Julien Amadori (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur 0:56:07