Rodriguez wins stage 3 of Volta a Catalunya

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Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won stage 3 of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya after attacking in the final few hundred meters on the first mountain stage to win alone and clear of Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar). Tejay van Garderen (BMC) finished fourth with Tour de France champion Chris Froome fifth after Rodriguez countered an initial attack from the Team Sky leader.

Rodriguez now leads the race after taking the leader’s jersey from Luka Mezgec (Giant-Shimano), winner of Catalunya's first two stages. Contador holds second overall at five seconds followed by Quintana in third at nine seconds.

The final ramps on the category 1-rated climb to La Molina briefly saw the top riders from last year’s Tour de France battle it out for the win after Froome launched an attack inside the final kilometre but it was Rodriguez who launched the winning move. Froome, who came into the race on the back of an injury layoff, had no answer and although Contador gave chase the Tinkoff-Saxo Spaniard was unable to catch the Katusha captain.

"Everything went fine the entire day," said Rodriguez. "I spoke with my teammates and asked them to keep control of the break and they did a perfect job.

"At 2km from the finish Dani Moreno did the last effort that was important to make our group smaller and smaller. When Froome attacked, I saw that he was missing the power to win. When he sat down in the saddle again, I attacked. The last kilometer was marvelous."

The battle between the Grand Tour riders had been expected since the start of the week. After two days of racing decided by field sprints, stage 3 provided the first major test for those seeking overall honours and a scalp or two ahead of the Tour de France.

Before the start of the stage, organisers and riders were worried about the risk of snow at the finish in La Molina. However, despite the stage finishing in a ski resort surrounded by snow and with temperatures close to freezing, the route remained unchanged after forecasts predicted dry conditions for the near 2,000-metre high finish.

The early break of six riders formed quickly after the start, with Andrey Zeits (Astana), Jack Bobridge (Belkin), Michel Koch (Cannondale), Kevin Reza (Europcar), Branislau Samoilau (CCC Polsat Polkowice) and Rudy Molard (Cofidis) in the move. The peloton let them go clear and the break quickly opened a three-minute gap after 15km. Their lead grew to 9:30 after 35km with the Tinkoff-Saxo team leading the chase. Riders from Movistar, Katusha and Team Sky also lent a hand in keeping the front six under control.

Bobridge was first to the top of the category 1 Coubet climb after 41km but the mid-stage hors catégorie ascent of the Creueta was the first real test for the break and the peloton. The 21km of climbing at 4.5 percent passed close to the finish in La Molina before a loop in the valley below. The climb saw the peloton eat into the gap between the two as the tension for the final showdown grew gradually.

Bobridge was again first to the top, taking the climber's points (and at stage end the mountains classification leader's jersey) but the peloton was now only four minutes behind.

Once over the summit the peloton continued to reel the break in and with 18km remaining the leaders’ advantage was at two minutes. In the space of four kilometres they saw another minute chipped off their lead as FDJ.fr, Tinkoff-Saxo, Katusha and Sky looked to set up their contenders for the finish.

It would be Omega Pharma's Thomas de Gendt, on behalf of Rigoberto Uran, who brought the break to within touching distance with a huge turn on the front of the peloton and with the break faltering Reza jumped clear.

GC contenders to the fore on first mountain finish

Movistar were soon on the front, though, flexing their muscles as the road began to gently rise at the start of the final 5.3km ascent. They led the peloton for almost three kilometres but just as the gradient began to really bite they appeared to go limp. Quintana had lost his team in almost the blink of an eye.

Even Contador looked as though he was suffering in the cold, the Spaniard dropping back to find shelter behind a line of AG2R riders.

Pierre Rolland had no intentions of hiding and with 2km to go he tested his rivals with a brisk but brief move. It only served as a launch pad for Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) who jumped clear on a slight plateau before the steepest sections. But whereas Katusha lacked Movistar’s numbers they more than made up for it with brawn and guile.

Daniel Moreno shimmied his way to the front, Rodriguez glued to his wheel, and even when Fuglsang was caught the race remained wide open with some 40 riders still in the front group entering the final kilometre.

Cue a Tour de France style attack from a Tour de France winner with Froome taking off to provide a flashback to how easily he dominated last year’s Tour. But this isn’t quite the Froome of 2013, and the British rider hasn’t yet found the cadence and speed he used even in Oman earlier this year.

The attacked was muffled first by Rodriguez and then by Contador with a trailing Quintana last to latch on.

And then Purito pounced. First he followed, then he allowed Froome to exhaust the final embers of his challenge on the front before hit his rival with a devastating volley on the far left of the road. Contador tried to follow but even he, coming off the back of his Tirreno-Adriatico success, was forced to yield.

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