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2016 Vuelta a España Stage 3: Geniez wins on the brutal wall of Ézaro

Fernandez in red as Movistar dominates

August 22, 2016
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Alexandre Geniez (France/FDJ) took his second career Vuelta a España stage win Monday, soloing to victory on the leg-breaking ramp of Mirador de Ézaro. Movistar dominated the GC part of things, placing three riders in the top-6, with Ruben Fernandez assuming the race lead.

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Vuelta organizers made the final 60-km very tough, with Cat. 3 and Cat. 2 climbs before the finale on the hardest Cat. 3 imaginable: the Mirador de Ézaro, 1.8-km of 13.8% with slopes up to 30%. Monday was scorching.


For an early Grand Tour stage it was a sizeable breakaway that shook clear. Seven riders finally formed at the front of the race and took a maximum of 5:00 gap.

Warren Barguil (France/Giant-Alpecin), who some thought might come good in the Vuelta after a mediocre Tour de France, became the first rider to abandon the 71st edition from sinusitus.

The Cat. 3 Alto de Lestaio is 8.3-km at 5.3% and the septet hit its foot with 5:00 gap intact. Simon Pellaud (Switzerland/IAM Cycling) attacked to take the KOM points. He carried on solo a minute ahead of his breakmates, his lead over the peloton 6:30.

Next up was the Cat. 2 Alto das Paxareiras. Starting with 27-km to go, it’s 9.3-km of 5.4%. Pellaud kept his gaps as he started up. Finally, LottoNL-Jumbo started to pick up the pace in the peloton. Before the top, breakmates Pieter Serry (Belgium/Etixx-QuickStep) and Geniez caught and dispatched Pellaud.


Geniez peaked first, giving him the blue polka dot mountains jersey to add to the victory at the end of the day. Back in the peloton, now 3:30 in arrears, Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) was the first big GC name to go off the back.

Pellaud latched back on during the descent. Movistar and then Sky were interested in driving the peloton towards the Ézaro, but there would be plenty of frantic positioning in the field before the road tilted up. Angel Lopez (Colombia/Astana), who had a flat during the opening team time trial, crashed.

When Joaquim Rodriguez won on the Mirador de Ézaro in 2012, it took him 4:35 to climb the final kilometre, where the grades get quite ridiculous.

The leading trio had 2:20 over the Orica-BikeExchange-led peloton when it hit the wall, and Pellaud fell away almost immediately. Geniez then left Serry with a kilometre to go. The Big Dogs–missing Chris Froome, Steven Kruijswijk and Lopez–separated themselves from the rest of the peloton. Then Movistar’s pressure unhitched Alberto Contador. It was then Valverde, Quintana and Esteban Chaves putting time into their rivals.

Geniez held on to win 22-seconds over Ruben Fernandez (Spain/Movistar), who takes over the red jersey. Froome made a fine recovery to finish on the same time as Chaves, with Quintana six-seconds behind them.

Tuesday sees another summit finish, the Cat. 2, two-part San Andrés de Teixido.

Stage 3 highlights

2016 Vuelta a España Stage 3
1) Alexandre Geniez (France/FDJ) 4:28:36
2) Ruben Fernandez (Spain/Movistar) +0:21
3) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:26
141) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +14:43
190) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +18:32

2016 Vuelta a España GC
1) Ruben Fernandez (Spain/Movistar) 9:16:07
2) Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) +0:07
3) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) +0:11
144) Ryan Anderson (Canada/Direct Energie) +16:23
190) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-BikeExchange) +22:50