Viviani wins third stage of Tour de Romandie

Sky’s Italian sprint Elia Viviani claimed the first proper bunch sprint of the 2017 Tour de Romandie on Friday’s third stage. Compatriot Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) keeps the yellow leader’s jersey for another day.

#TDR2017 Elia Viviani (SKY) gana la 3ª etapa en Payerne. Los favoritos, sin diferencias antes del fin de semana decisivo. pic.twitter.com/n1kbeJgVdY

— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) April 28, 2017

It would be another day of cold rain with intermittent snow.

Race day #TeamKatushaAlpecin #Romandie pic.twitter.com/ryndvWTdrV

— Björn Neyt (@bjorn_neyt) April 28, 2017

The riders faced 187-km including four Cat. 3 climbs, with the route passing through the start and finishing town of Payerne twice on its convoluted journey of four circuits.

??#TDR2017

Despite the snow, today's stage will go on as planned. Here is what awaits the riders for their day around Payerne: pic.twitter.com/0VensM3P1d

— NTT Pro Cycling (@NTTProCycling) April 28, 2017

After a couple of early breakaway attempts that didn’t stick, a seven-man move containing Canadian Hugo Houle flashed away at the 12-km mark. This came the day after AG2R released its Giro d’Italia start list and Houle wasn’t on it when he had been on the provisional list. Houle was the best placed rider on GC in the escape, 3:35 back. AG2R’s man had serial fugitives Thomas De Gendt (Belgium/Lotto-Soudal) and Toms Skujiņš (Latvia/Cannondale) for company.

The gap was never particularly large. Houle nabbed three KOM points by being second over the first Cat. 3 and one point on the second. The septet just had time to tip over the third climb–De Gendt taking his 15th point of the day, Houle getting skunked–before the peloton swept it up with 30-km to go.

There were several attacks and counters on the last Cat. 3 of the day. The frantic digs carried on on the downhill, stringing out the peloton. Four riders shook loose and had Alex Dowsett (Great Britain/Movistar) trying to bridge.

Dowsett, wearing the number 1 because his reigning champion teammate Nairo Quintana wasn’t in the race, dashed ahead and had a 25-second lead with 13-km remaining. Bahrain-Merida and Quick Step worked to bring him back with 4-km to go. Time to line out for the sprint.

Bahrain disappeared as Bora-Hansgrohe, UAE-Emirates and FDJ formed their colour blocks. Sky came through at the red kite. The British team had to claw back Orica-Scott’s Alex Edmondson right in the final 300-metres to launch Viviani. It was Viviani’s first win of the year.

Houle placed 25th in the bunch sprint.

Saturday is the queen stage, with three Cat. 1’s and a Cat. 2 in the latter half of the course and a summit finish in Leysin.

2017 Tour de Romandie Stage 3
1) Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) 4:27:42
2) Sonny Colbrelli (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) s.t.
3) Michael Schwartzmann (Germany/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
25) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) s.t.

2017 Tour de Romandie GC
1) Fabio Felline (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) 12:40:24
2) Maximilian Schachmann (Germany/Quick Step) +0:08
3) Jesus Herrada (Spain/Movistar) s.t.
75) Hugo Houle (Canada/AG2R) +3:35