Valverde reclaims Ruta del Sol GC lead from Contador on stage 3

Victor Campenaerts (Team LottoNl-Jumbo) held on to win a dramatic individual time trial at the Ruta del Sol on stage 3. The Belgian time trial champion was among the early starters over the 11.9km course and remained in the hot seat as all the GC contenders failed to dislodge him.

Campenaerts' stage win, however, only told one side of the story on what was another dramatic day on the race. Heading into the crucial time trial, Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) held a slender three-second lead over Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) with Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) only a further two seconds in arrears. At the finish line, Valverde put six seconds into contador to move into the leader's jersey by a single second. Contador dropped to second, unable to claw back time despite a frantic chase to the line.

With two stages remaining, Valverde holds a one-second lead over Contador, with Pinot in third at six seconds. The biggest change in the overall standings came when Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) crash out. The Spaniard started the stage fourth overall, tied on the same time as Valverde. Team Sky rounded up the remaining places in the top six after another consistent performance. Wout Poels finished sixth on the stage and now sits fourth overall, ahead of Diego Rosa and Mikel Landa.

The stage honours, however, belonged to the relatively unheralded Campenaerts. The 25-year-old won his national championships in 2015 but caught everyone by surprise in Spain. He set off like a bullet and quickly set the fastest time at both the intermediate post and the finish line, but it wasn’t just the fact he took the lead, but the manner in which he did it that stood out.

Until the Lotto rider had crossed the line, the consistent Mathias Brandle had sat in the hot seat. A former UCI Hour Record holder, many expected the Trek-Segafredo rider to keep the seat warm for the GC battlers. Campenaerts clearly hadn’t read the script, and he decimated the standings, putting 28 seconds in Brandle and putting the rest of the field on notice.

One-by-one they trickled over the line, with Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Crapac) and a host of other more established riders unable to get close to the Belgian. Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and former time trial world champion Vasil Kiryienka (Team Sky) failed too, leaving the GC men as the last line of defence facing Campenaerts.

Pinot was smooth, cutting through corners with ease and using the opening climb to show his intent. Valverde, meanwhile, was at his menacing best, and it was the Movistar rider who came closest to toppling Campenaerts with a matching time at the intermediate check.

Contador, who had started last but without the leader’s jersey on his shoulders, looked rapid and held Valverde to within five seconds, but as the road began to rise, and with the Trek climber out of the saddle, Campenaerts began his celebrations. Valverde nor Contador would deny him.

"Everything today was good, my preparation was good and the race went perfectly for me," Campenaerts said. "We worked hard as a team and it is nice that it pays off with a victory.

"Several weeks ago, I felt in good shape. This was the first individual time trial and we made every effort possible to have a good one here. We've been to the wind tunnel and adapted my equipment as well as possible.

"The course was not in my favour, a little too much climbing, but I managed to use all of my power. I kept a high pace and I handled the curves perfectly."

Valverde did enough, just, to take the GC lead. Contador for the third stage in a row found himself on the road side of a defeat. For all of his gusto in the mountains, it is Valverde’s more assured approach that has shone through. With two days remaining though, this race is far from over.

After such a close time trial who will win Ruta del Sol? https://t.co/JFKnMoApYc

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) February 17, 2017

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