Remco Evenepoel dramatically missed a breakaway coup on the Tour of Catalonia. Shortly before the finish he fell while in the lead, the cause is still unclear.
The Belgian from the German racing team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe was in the lead for a long time on the third stage with the two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard after a surprising attack, but fell in front of a roundabout a few hundred meters from the finish and had to bury all chances of victory.
Vingegaard fair sportsman
Evenepoel looked into space, served and with bleeding wounds on his arm and leg. The 26-year-old entered the home straight with Vingegaard with a lead of more than ten seconds. Vingegaard initially continued driving, but then slowed down. “I didn’t want to gain any advantage and waited for the peloton“, said the Dane from Visma-Lease a bike.
As on the first stage, after 159.5 kilometers in Vila-seca, victory went to the French champion Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers), who prevailed in the mass sprint against the Brits Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling) and Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost). Apparently the winner still had some anger in his stomach from the day before when he couldn’t prevail in the finish sprint. “Last night I was a little mad at myself for not winning. So I wanted to win today”said the 29-year-old to “Eurosport” after the race.
The best German was Michel Heßmann (Movistar) in ninth place. Vingegaard rolled over the line in 15th place, Evenepoel followed in 106th place. Since the fall took place within the five kilometer mark, he was counted at the same time as Godon and the peloton.
Evenepoel with Surprise maneuvers
With almost 29 kilometers to go, Evenepoel took advantage of a break in the wind and broke away from the peloton on flat terrain, with only Vingegaard following him. The duo continually increased their lead, although Vingegaard did little leadership work. Evenepoel complained several times, then Florian Lipowitz’s teammate fell.
Godon extended his overall lead, Evenepoel goes into the first mountain finish in the Pyrenees on Thursday in second place, eleven seconds behind. On the way to the Vallter 2000 ski area, the peloton has to conquer 173 kilometers with an altitude difference of 4,041 meters on the fourth stage. The 105th Tour of Catalonia ends on Sunday after the seventh leg in Barcelona.
