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2015 Tour de France Stage 3: El Purito wins on Mur de Huy, Froome in yellow

Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) triumphed on a stage that was certainly in his wheelhouse--a Classics-style, crash-marred Monday in Belgium that finished on the Mur de Huy.

July 6, 2015
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Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) triumphed on a stage that was certainly in his wheelhouse–a Classics-style, crash-marred Monday in Belgium that finished on the Mur de Huy. Yellow jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland/Trek) was caught up in the wreck and lagged far back, losing the lead to the day’s runner-up Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky).

Czech rider Jan Barta of Bora-Argon 18 evidently wasn’t satisfied with Sunday’s breakaway not even surviving the halfway point of the stage, for he was part of another escape quartet, this time with a MTN-Qhubeka rider, Belgian Serge Pauwels. Cofidis is the only wildcard team not to get in a breakaway so far.

The fugitives were allowed a maximum lead of 4:00, but it stabilized at 3:00 for a few dozen kilometres before the first categorized climb of the 2015 edition of the Tour, the Cat. 4 Côte de Bohissau at the 51-km to go mark.

It looked like the break wasn’t fated to make it intact to the Bohissau, but just before the junction, a massive crash with 57-km to go neutralized the race for a few kilometres, angering some of the riders. Several cyclists were hurt, including Cancellara, though Spartacus got back on his bike.

William Bonnet (France/FDJ), Simon Gerrans (Australia/Orica-GreenEdge), Russian Dmitry Kozontchuk (Katusha) and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) all abandoned, giving their teams a disadvantage in Stage 9’s team time trial. With the medical staff overwhelmed, the race was finally stopped just before the Bohissau, the escapees back in the bunch.

The riders continued up the Bohissau neutralized, with no mountains points over the top, and then the race continued at a mellow pace. There were two more Cat. 4’s and the day’s intermediate sprint to come before the Huy. With 40-km remaining, the peloton carried on with more intent, Astana and Tinkoff-Saxo creating a split. Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar) and Thibaut Pinot (France/FDJ) were both in the second group for the second day running.

Sunday’s winner and green jersey wearer Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) flashed ahead to take the intermediate sprint. The groups merged soon after, and Cannondale-Garmin grabbed the reins heading towards Cat. 4 Côte d’Ereffe. BMC’s Swiss Michael Schar took the first KOM point of the race. Meanwhile, Cancellara was off the back, losing heaps of time. He abandoned the Tour de France after the stage.

Next up was the last Cat. 4 before the Huy, the steep little Côte de Cherave. Mick Rogers (Australia/Tinkoff-Saxo) led the way up. Trek’s Colombian Julian Arredondo accelerated to take the KOM point. There was a short descent, a bump and then the Cat. 3 Mur de Huy, 1.3-km, 9.6% average with a maximum grade of 19%.

Giampaolo Caruso (Italy/Katusha) led the way up the steepest grade. Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) seemed interested and able, but Rodriguez overtook him on the outside. Froome stuck close to the Spaniard to put time into his rivals and snatch the race lead. El Purito pulled on the first polka-dot jersey.

Ryder Hesjedal had a better day of Monday, finishing 24th on the Huy to leap to 49th on GC from 132nd after Sunday’s disappointment.

The hardship of week one doesn’t ease up on Tuesday. It will be time for cobbles as the race enters France for the first time.

2015 Tour de France Stage 3
1) Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) 3:26:54
2) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky) s.t.
3) Alexis Vuillermoz (France/FDJ) +0:04
24) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +0:40
180) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +11:09

2015 Tour de France GC
1) Chris Froome (Great Britain/Sky)
2) Tony Martin (Germany/Etixx-QuickStep) +0:01
3) Tejay van Garderen (USA/BMC) +0:13
49) Ryder Hesjedal (Canada/Cannondale-Garmin) +6:15
161) Svein Tuft (Canada/Orica-GreenEdge) +16:14