Stage 3: ANTAGNOD / CHAMPOLUC
The third stage, the most feared of the 55th Giro Ciclistico Internazionale della Valle d'Aosta - Mont Blanc, did not betray the expectations, giving a turning point for the general classification. Started from Antagnod, the riders immediately face the Col de Joux and here the day's breakaway starts, first formed by a dozen riders, then seventeen during the descent. Among the most active are Colonna and Dotti (Petroli Firenze Hopplà) fighting for some points for the red jersey, Mugisha and Weldu (Dimension Data for Qhubeka), Fedeli (Trevigiani Phonix) and Mazzucco (Friuli Cycling Team). The group of the yellow jersey Bellia, with only one teammate at his side, follows with a variable gap between two and four minutes. The first turn of the race takes place along the ascent of Col d'Arlaz, when Mugisha attacks and the group of fugitives doesn’t react. Fedeli, the Ethiopian Weldu and Negrente, keep going quite well. The rain and the vertiginous ramps of Col Tzecore, however, shuffle the cards both in the head group and in the yellow jersey group. Among the fugitives Fedeli dictates the pace, followed by Weldu, while in the group of great contenders Bellia struggles a bit. On the descent from the Col Tzecore, Fedeli leaves the contenders and flies away, topping Col de Joux in first position, focused, more than ever, to get the victory in Champoluc. The last ten kilometers are a triumphal march for him. In the breakaway all the day long, Fedeli gets it all, while behind him the fight for the yellow jersey is unleashed. Bellia has no energy to fight for the leadership, the peloton gets onto the remaining fugitives and Pronskiy, one of the most brilliant in the final part, gets second on the finish line, ahead of Greegaard (Denmark National Team), the Dutch Inkelaar (Polartec Kometa) and Fortunato (Petroli Firenze Hopplà Maserati). General classification completely changed: Inkelaar has the lead, Gregaard second at 51", Pronskiy third at 1'03". The red jersey remains on Dotti's shoulders, the polka-dotted one is owned by Cacciotti while the white one is now of Pronskiy.
Stage ClassificationKm. 160,700 - average 32,476 km/h | Overall ClassificationKm. 476,000 - average 32,860 km/h | |||||||
| 1. | FEDELI Alessandro TREVIGIANI PHONIX HEMUS 1896 | 04:56:54" | 1. | INKELAAR Kevin POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | 14:29:09" | |||
| 2. | PRONSKIY Vadim ASTANA CITY | a | 53" | 2. | GREGAARD WILSLY Jonas DENMARK NATIONAL TEAM | a | 51" | |
| 3. | GREGAARD WILSLY Jonas DENMARK NATIONAL TEAM | a | 55" | 3. | PRONSKIY Vadim ASTANA CITY | a | 01'03" | |
| 4. | INKELAAR Kevin POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | a | 55" | 4. | RUBIO REYES Einer Augusto TEAM VEJUS | a | 02'03" | |
| 5. | FORTUNATO Lorenzo PETROLI FIRENZE MASERATI HOPPL | a | 55" | 5. | LÓPEZ PEREZ Juan Pedro POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | a | 02'32" | |
| 6. | RUBIO REYES Einer Augusto TEAM VEJUS | a | 58" | 6. | FORTUNATO Lorenzo PETROLI FIRENZE MASERATI HOPPL | a | 02'40" | |
| 7. | WELDU Hafetab DIMENSION DATA FOR QHUBEKA CON | a | 01'09" | 7. | WELDU Hafetab DIMENSION DATA FOR QHUBEKA CON | a | 02'45" | |
| 8. | LÓPEZ PEREZ Juan Pedro POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | a | 01'45" | 8. | LEKNESSUND Andreas NORWAY NATIONAL TEAM | a | 03'51" | |
| 9. | NEGRENTE Marco COLPACK | a | 03'14" | 9. | MONACO Alessandro Teodoro PETROLI FIRENZE MASERATI HOPPL | a | 04'10" | |
| 11. | VANSEVENANT Mauri EFC – L&R - VULSTEKE | a | 03'27" | 10. | ABDERRAHIM Zahiri TREVIGIANI PHONIX HEMUS 1896 | a | 04'29" | |
The stage in videos
The stage in pictures
