Description
June 17, 2022
Tour of Slovenia 2022 – Stage 3 – Žalec – Celje : 144,6 km
Slovenia’s flagship stage race regularly falls at the start of summer and just a couple of weeks before the biggest race of the year.
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June 17, 2022
Tour of Slovenia 2022 – Stage 3 – Žalec – Celje : 144,6 km
Slovenia’s flagship stage race regularly falls at the start of summer and just a couple of weeks before the biggest race of the year. Over the last few years we’ve seen more and more riders use it as a last-minute preparation race before they head over to France and start competing for the coveted yellow jersey. The race first debuted in 1993 and for its first 10 years it drew competition mainly from Slovenia and its closest neighbours, Italy, Croatia and Austria. In 2005 it was upgraded to a 2.1 event by the UCI and added to their Europe Tour calendar. From then on it began to grow in prestige and by the 2010s it was drawing big-name riders from all over the world. In 2021 the race will become part of the UCI’s new ProSeries – the highest tier of racing outside of the WorldTour.
Tadej Pogačar laid down a Tour de France marker with a dominant victory on stage 3 of the Tour of Slovenia, which put him into the overall lead of the race.
The Tour de France champion shone again as UAE Team Emirates again prized open the stage and played a numbers game thanks to Rafal Majka and Pogačar.
Pogačar triumphed on the uphill finish at Celje after making a powerful late attack. Overall leader Majka came home 11 seconds later for a team one-two, passing his leader’s green jersey to Pogačar.
Alpecin-Fenix new signing Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Fenix), dispatched by the duo on the final climb to the line, took the final podium spot at 14 seconds.
Pogačar will now ride through his hometown of Komenda as race leader during stage 4.
The race was largely together and still open-ended as it hit the category-2 Svetina climb with 25km to go. However, Pogacar and Majka were determined not to let it come down to the final incline.
Pogacar forced the issue and soon only his teammate could follow him. They crested the climb alone together, with a lead of nearly 30 seconds. As second-placed Domen Novak fell away, his Bahrain Victorious teammate Matej Mohoric tried to give chase. Despite the Slovenian’s descending skills, he was never able to make the junction on the downhill and had to slot back into the chase group.
Towards the bottom of the descent, Conci made an attack and did succeed in getting across to the leading duo. However, as the road tilted up towards the finish in the final few kilometres, he was put to the sword again.
Conci was able to follow Pogacar’s initial surge with 2km to go but then had to relent when the Tour champion mustered repeated accelerations. Conci then dropped back to Majka, who attacked him in turn to make it a team one-two.
Luka Mezgec (Bike-Exchange-Jayco) led a fragmented bunch home in fourth place at 36 seconds, alongside Mohoric, as Novak finished 13th at 47 seconds.
In the overall standings, Pogacar now leads the way, with a lead of seven seconds of Majka, and Novak third at 55 seconds.
Results :
, dispatched by the duo on the final climb to the line, took the final podium spot at 14 seconds.
Pogačar will now ride through his hometown of Komenda as race leader during stage 4.
The race was largely together and still open-ended as it hit the category-2 Svetina climb with 25km to go. However, Pogacar and Majka were determined not to let it come down to the final incline.
Pogacar forced the issue and soon only his teammate could follow him. They crested the climb alone together, with a lead of nearly 30 seconds. As second-placed Domen Novak fell away, his Bahrain Victorious teammate Matej Mohoric tried to give chase. Despite the Slovenian's descending skills, he was never able to make the junction on the downhill and had to slot back into the chase group.
Towards the bottom of the descent, Conci made an attack and did succeed in getting across to the leading duo. However, as the road tilted up towards the finish in the final few kilometres, he was put to the sword again.
Conci was able to follow Pogacar's initial surge with 2km to go but then had to relent when the Tour champion mustered repeated accelerations. Conci then dropped back to Majka, who attacked him in turn to make it a team one-two.
Luka Mezgec (Bike-Exchange-Jayco) led a fragmented bunch home in fourth place at 36 seconds, alongside Mohoric, as Novak finished 13th at 47 seconds.
In the overall standings, Pogacar now leads the way, with a lead of seven seconds of Majka, and Novak third at 55 seconds.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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