Stage 3 had been billed as probably the hardest stage within the historical past of the Tour Down Under – however whereas it gave a clearer image of the general contenders, it nonetheless could not trigger main gaps on the high of the standings, with at the least 18 riders remaining in competition.
Javier Romo (Movistar) carved out a five-second hole on the line along with his solo profitable assault, and along with a 10-second time bonus, shot to the highest of the general standings and into the ochre jersey. However, Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) stays a detailed risk and is simply behind at eight seconds.
Narvaez, second general within the 2024 Tour Down Under, proved his climbing prowess when he was second to Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNl) atop Willunga Hill in final 12 months’s version. After this 12 months’s stage 3, he has teammate Jay Vine sitting solely seven extra seconds down on Romo, giving UAE yet one more card to play within the closing three phases.
“Obviously, everybody’s come right here with some good type and it was actually, actually powerful to make a distinction,” Vine advised Cyclingnews in Uraidla. “I believe we had 15 to twenty, guys in the long run.”
“[It’s] a bit totally different to 2 years in the past once we went over Corkscrew [stage 3 in 2023], which was roughly the identical period of time, and we had three of us.”
That 12 months Vine went clear with eventual winner Simon Yates and Pello Bilbao, however this time on Knotts Hill the race got here again collectively after a flurry of assaults earlier than the summit, and Romo then made his profitable transfer on the rolling plateau after the KOM.
“It was an attention-grabbing one,” Vin added. “It was irritating within the race – when you could have that many riders, it is exhausting to get cooperation, and likewise, everybody needs to not miss the transfer, so it simply comes all the way down to a giant group dash.”
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Aside from the climb, the kilometre earlier than a technical descent with 12.5km to go noticed an enormous push from groups to place their contenders into place, including stress to an up-and-down stage that stored riders on their toes.
“It was hectic all day right this moment, however I believe we have all acquired our bark [skin] on us nonetheless, in order that’s good.”
Behind third-placed Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek), Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R) and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos) is greatest younger rider chief Albert Philipsen – one among 4 different Lidl-Trek riders within the high 18.
Philipsen is in his first WorldTour race contemporary out of the junior ranks however already has excessive expectations for himself within the Tour Down Under. He was upset to complete fourth and outdoors of the time bonuses in Uraidla.
“I did not fairly get in the precise strikes and needed to shut a bit an excessive amount of,” Philipsen mentioned. “Then within the dash, I acquired near the obstacles and needed to accept fourth place.”
Fisher-Black remarked on the techniques of Lidl-Trek, who had probably the most riders within the group, however didn’t do extra on the entrance of the group to deliver again Romol. But Philipsen defined, “It was fairly hectic within the closing and exhausting to speak collectively, so it did not actually play out in our favour this time.”
The Danish rider was studying WorldTour racing in actual time, specifically the significance of positioning in key moments. “It was actually scary going into the descent [before Knotts Hill] as a result of everyone needed to be in first place. It was an all-out dash to get there. I did not fairly make it within the first lap however within the second lap, I used to be in a position to place myself good with assist from loads of teammates.”
Philipsen had teammates Konrad, Andrea Bagioli, Juan Pedro Lopez and Bauke Mollema within the group, however was kicking himself for not getting a greater outcome.
“I’m actually joyful to seize the white jersey [of best young rider] for now, however I’m a bit upset with the stage. I believe I might have achieved extra.”
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