Andorra, Aug 29 Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step executed a commanding finish to claim victory in the third stage of the Tour of Spain, subsequently donning the overall leader's red jersey.
The defending champion surged ahead of a group, which included pre-race favorites Primoz Roglic and Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, both from Team Jumbo Visma, as well as Enric Mas from Movistar, in the final 400 meters of a grueling stage concluding in Andorra, reports Xinhua.
The 158-kilometer mountain stage showcased two first-category climbs in the last 65 kilometers, culminating atop the Col de Ordino. This stage also featured a breakaway including Damiano Caruso of Bahrain Victorious and Bora-hansgrohe's Lennard Kamna.
Caruso, the last breakaway rider on the track, was caught by the peloton less than two kilometers from the finish.
This prompted Sepp Kuss of Jumbo Visma to initiate an attack, with Marco Soler and Juan Ayuso, both from the UAE Team Emirates, closely following in pursuit of the stage win.
Nevertheless, it was Evenepoel who demonstrated exceptional resilience in the final stretches, leveraging his "puncheur" capabilities to take the lead just under half a kilometer before the finish. He was closely trailed by Vingegaard, Ayuso and Roglic, who finished mere seconds behind.
Considering the time bonuses, Evenepoel transitioned into the red jersey. This came after the previous leader, Andreas Piccolo of Team EF Education Easypost, lost his lead early in the stage.
Unfortunately for Evenepoel, post-race celebrations were tainted when he collided with a cameraman just after crossing the finish line, resulting in a minor cut on his right eyebrow.
Tuesday's Stage 4 spans 184.6 kilometers, stretching from Andorra to Tarragona. With two third-category climbs situated 60 and 30 kilometers from the endpoint, a rapid conclusion to the day is anticipated.
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