Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

February 20, 2015

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol 2015 – Stage 3 – Motril – Alto de Hazallanas : 159,8 km

First run in 1925, but then with a 30 year gap before its next edition in the mid 1950s, this year’s six-stage, five-day Vuelta a Andalucia has three main difficulties. First is a short, highly technical time trial on the second sector of the opening split stage on Wednesday, February 18, followed by two challenging first category summit finishes, the 16.7 kilometre Alto de Hazallanas on Friday’s stage three and the Alto de Allanadas on stage four.

It may only be mid-February but Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) laid down an important and morale-boosting marker on stage three of the Vuelta a Andalucia with a solo victory ahead of Chris Froome (Team Sky) atop the steep and snow-covered Hazallanas climb in the Sierra Nevada.

In scenes reminiscent of last year’s Vuelta a Espana, Contador in the red leader’s jersey, distanced Froome and all his race rivals half-way up the final climb. Froome fought back to limit his losses but he was unable to respond to Contador’s initial attack, eventually crossing the line 19 seconds down.

The win, Contador’s first of the 2015 season, puts the Tinkoff-Saxo leader 27 seconds clear of Froome in the overall, with two stages remaining.

However the win wasn’t Contador’s to celebrate alone. His Tinkoff-Saxo team were well drilled throughout the stage, protecting the race leader and limiting an early break. Over the two initial climbs of the stage the Russian squad set the tempo and with the brutal slopes of the Hazallanas insight they turned up the heat.

The break were reeled in on the lower slopes as Team Sky attempted to organise themselves behind Contador’s foot soldiers. Michael Valgren Andersen hit the front first, his pace enough to send a number of Contador’s rivals running for cover before Jesus Hernandez and Ivan Basso took over.

The peloton had been reduced to around 40 riders by the time the Italian veteran played his card. He briefly drifted behind Contador as the race quickly descended into the village of Guerjar Sierra but as the road began to rise once more with seven kilometres to go, the former Giro winner unleashed a searing pace that has been missing from his legs in recent years. Contador, fixed to Basso’s back wheel, was the only rider who could respond as the road kicked up to 12 per cent. Froome struggled behind, with the descent and the climb affecting his rhythm.

Kennaugh helps Froome

Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and the impressive Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) were the first to create any sort of chase, with Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) and Daniel Navarro Garcia (Cofidis) in the roles of chaperones. But upfront, after Basso peeled off, and slipped back, Contador as danced on the pedals but was also hurting. It was a huge effort from the Vuelta winner.

Froome made contact as Kennaugh held Contador at 30 seconds. The Spaniard though was on his own and in pursuit of victory. The British road champion, left out of Team Sky’s Tour de France team last year, continued to limit Froome’s losses at 30 seconds as the chase group was whittled down to just Froome, Bardet and Kennaugh.

With four kilometres and some of the toughest sections behind them, Froome made his first appearance at the front. Kennaugh sat up and Bardet made an brief cameo on Froome’s rear wheel. However within the space of 500 meters Froome was alone too and the gap was still floating around the 30-second mark.

The contrasting climbing styles offered by both Froome and Contador may only be starting to thaw after a long winter but in essence they remain as far away from each other as ever – Contador bouncing and swaying with Froome glued to the bars and saddle as if his life, not just his cadence depended on it.

As the gradient rose for one final time, Froome began to claw back a handful of seconds, and when the road eventually flattened the gap was down to 19 seconds, with both riders able to take positive aspects from their first proper showdown of the season.

However, for now it is advantage Contador.

Results :
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo 4:19:15
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:19
3 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:01:39
4 Benat Intxausti Elorriagai (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:58
5 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky 0:02:02
6 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:02:05
7 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka 0:02:15
8 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky 0:02:16
9 Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:02:30
10 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:02:42
11 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
12 Javier Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team 0:02:54
13 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
14 Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar
15 David Belda Garcia (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:02:56
16 Serguei Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo
17 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky 0:02:58
18 Luis Miguel Mate (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:03:03
19 Jose Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team
20 Alexander Foliforov (Rus) RusVelo 0:03:22
21 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 0:03:26
22 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:03:33
23 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling
24 Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing 0:03:42
25 Gorka Izagirre (Esp) Movistar Team
26 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:04:08
27 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
28 Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling
29 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) Trek Factory Racing 0:04:10
30 Ivan Basso (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
31 Victor Martin (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:04:34
32 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Team Sky
33 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:04:38
34 Alex Norberto Cano Ardila (Col) Colombia 0:04:39
35 Cyril Gautierl (Fra) Team Europcar 0:04:53
36 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:05:10
37 David Arroyo Duran (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
38 Edward Fabián Díaz Cárdenas (Col) Colombia 0:05:16
39 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:05:20
40 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot
41 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ 0:05:36
42 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ 0:05:39
43 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
44 Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia 0:05:44
45 Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:06:15
46 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
47 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
48 Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot 0:06:26
49 Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
50 Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:06:49
51 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar
52 Angel Madrazo (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:08:17
53 Sylwester Szmyd (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:08:40
54 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Team Europcar 0:09:44
55 Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:10:18
56 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
57 Jerome Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling
58 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:12:09
59 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
60 Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:12:21
61 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:12:23
62 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
63 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ 0:12:40
64 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:13:09
65 Sergio Paulinho (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:13:50
66 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
67 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team
68 Carlos Quintero (Col) Colombia
69 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot 0:14:15
70 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:14:25
71 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto – Soudal
72 Ibai Salas (Esp) Burgos-BH
73 Eduard Prades Reverte (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
74 Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
75 Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing
76 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin
77 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ
78 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:15:40
79 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:16:06
80 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
81 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
82 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
83 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo
84 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
85 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:17:12
86 Grega Bole (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
87 Sebastien Minard (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale
88 Marc De Maar (Aho) Team Roompot 0:17:16
89 Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia
90 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
91 Jay Thomson (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka
92 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
93 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing
94 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Team Roompot
95 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka
96 Nick Dougall (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka
97 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
98 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
99 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
100 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
101 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
102 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff – Saxo
103 Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice
104 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky
105 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar
106 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia
107 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
108 Peio Bilbao (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
109 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) RusVelo
110 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
111 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto – Soudal
112 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot
113 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo
114 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:24
115 Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
116 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:17:27
117 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
118 Juan Jose Lobato (Esp) Movistar Team 0:17:28
119 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ 0:17:50
120 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:17:58
121 Roman Kustadinchev (Rus) RusVelo 0:18:12
122 Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:18:20
123 Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
124 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:19:08
125 Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling
126 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
127 Fabio Duarte (Col) Colombia
128 Jim Songezo (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka 0:19:50
129 Igor Merino (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:20:50
130 Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
131 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff – Saxo
132 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo
133 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise
134 Dario Hernandez Illana (Esp) Burgos-BH
135 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:21:57
136 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:22:38
137 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Roompot 0:22:47
DNF Jimmy Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:32:08
DNF Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
DNF Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) FDJ
DNF Aleksandr Komin (Rus) RusVelo
DNF Sebastian Mascaro (Esp) Burgos-BH

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo 12:22:55
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:27
3 Benat Intxausti Elorriagai (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:59
4 Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:02:13
5 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky 0:02:28
6 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Team Sky 0:02:30
7 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Sky 0:03:19
8 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:03:41
9 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:04:10
10 Gorka Izagirre (Esp) Movistar Team 0:04:15
11 Ivan Basso (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:04:27
12 Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:04:28
13 Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
14 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 0:04:33
15 Jerome Coppel (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:04:46
16 Serguei Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo 0:04:52
17 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:04:53
18 Alexander Foliforov (Rus) RusVelo 0:05:04
19 David Belda Garcia (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:05:34
20 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Team Roompot 0:06:01
21 Javier Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team 0:06:13
22 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:06:24
23 Edward Fabián Díaz Cárdenas (Col) Colombia 0:06:51
24 Cyril Gautierl (Fra) Team Europcar 0:07:06
25 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka 0:07:11
26 Jose Herrada (Esp) Movistar Team 0:07:16
27 Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:07:21
28 Luis Miguel Mate (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:07:25
29 Huub Duyn (Ned) Team Roompot 0:07:38
30 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:07:39
31 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:07:46
32 Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:07:58
33 Romain Sicard (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:15
34 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:43
35 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) Trek Factory Racing 0:08:49
36 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:08:52
37 Victor Martin (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:08:58
38 Maxime Mederel (Fra) Team Europcar 0:09:20
39 Angel Madrazo (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:09:34
40 Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Colombia 0:10:48
41 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:10:57
42 Marcel Wyss (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:11:09
43 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:11:18
44 Sylwester Szmyd (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:11:19
45 Jesus Del Pino Corrochano (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:11:23
46 Alex Norberto Cano Ardila (Col) Colombia 0:11:24
47 Nicholas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:11:52
48 Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:12:02
49 Jerome Pineau (Fra) IAM Cycling 0:12:04
50 Tom Leezer (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:13:10
51 Edward Theuns (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:13:27
52 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) FDJ 0:13:51
53 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ 0:13:54
54 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Team Europcar 0:14:15
55 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:14:18
56 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:14:22
57 Cedric Pineau (Fra) FDJ 0:14:59
58 Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:15:24
59 David Arroyo Duran (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:15:42
60 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:16:42
61 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Esp) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:16:47
62 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:17:27
63 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ 0:17:39
64 Grega Bole (Cze) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:18:02
65 Romain Hardy (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:18:07
66 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:18:39
67 Carlos Quintero (Col) Colombia 0:18:49
68 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:19:00
69 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto – Soudal 0:19:22
70 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:19:28
71 Eduard Prades Reverte (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:19:48
72 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:19:54
73 Ibai Salas (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:19:59
74 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka 0:20:24
75 Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing 0:20:28
76 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team 0:20:30
77 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing 0:20:32
78 Sebastien Minard (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:20:36
79 Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) RusVelo 0:20:52
80 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:21:02
81 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:21:34
82 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:22:16
83 Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Col) Colombia 0:22:27
84 Oliver Naesen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:22:29
85 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) RusVelo 0:22:30
86 Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:22:40
87 Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:22:46
88 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:22:56
89 Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot 0:22:57
90 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:23:11
91 Juan Jose Lobato (Esp) Movistar Team 0:23:18
92 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team 0:23:46
93 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:23:55
94 Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
95 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:24:05
96 Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Team Roompot 0:24:06
97 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:24:16
98 Marc De Maar (Aho) Team Roompot 0:24:18
99 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:24:36
100 Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
101 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:24:38
102 Gert Joeaar (Est) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits 0:24:41
103 Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia 0:25:11
104 Sergio Paulinho (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:25:15
105 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:25:16
106 Francesco Lasca (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:25:21
107 Johannes Frohlinger (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:26:21
108 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Ned) Team Roompot 0:26:22
109 Roman Kustadinchev (Rus) RusVelo 0:26:42
110 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:26:51
111 Peio Bilbao (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:27:48
112 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka 0:27:56
113 Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:28:24
114 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:28:30
115 Jim Songezo (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka 0:28:42
116 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert 0:29:16
117 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Esp) Team Sky 0:29:18
118 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:29:41
119 Pirmin Lang (Sui) IAM Cycling 0:29:51
120 Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 0:29:53
121 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:29:59
122 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:30:04
123 Jay Thomson (Rsa) MTN – Qhubeka 0:30:14
124 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team Lotto NL – Jumbo 0:30:47
125 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto – Soudal 0:31:02
126 Christophe Riblon (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale 0:31:10
127 Igor Merino (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:31:11
128 Fabio Duarte (Col) Colombia 0:31:22
129 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing 0:31:46
130 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Roompot 0:31:50
131 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 0:32:22
132 Nick Dougall (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka 0:32:23
133 Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise 0:33:59
134 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff – Saxo 0:34:00
135 Dario Hernandez Illana (Esp) Burgos-BH 0:34:04
136 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ 0:34:16
137 Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:39:48