Setmana Valenciana: Niamh Fisher-Black wins hilly stage 3

Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx) out-powered Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek) to win stage 3 of the Setmana Ciclista-Volta Comunitat Valenciana Fémines at Xorret de Catí.

The New Zealander escaped with Realini on the viciously steep final climb before attacking to claim the stage win. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) led the chasers home for third behind Realini.

Fisher-Black's teammate and race leader Marlen Reusser struggled to hold the pace on the double-digit grades but came to the line in fourth to hold onto the race lead.

The Setmana Valenciana's third stage, riddled with climbs, got underway with a flurry of attacks which mainly served to shatter the peloton until after the first climb, the Alto Collao.

On the second climb, the Alto Carrasqueta, the front of the peloton came back together until a strong group of eight carved out a gap.

The breakaway included Olha Kulynych (Fenix-Deceuninck), Amber Kraak (FDJ-SUEZ), Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek), Magdeleine Vallieres Mill (EF Education-Cannondale), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Caroline Andersson (Liv AlUla Jayco), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM), Maud Oudeman (Visma-Lease a Bike)

The leaders couldn't open up much more than a minute's lead and after the penultimate ascent of the Alto Canalís de Onil, they were reeled in ahead of the fiercely steep Alto Xorret de Catí.

Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek) and Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx) attacked on the climb which kicked up to 22% grades halfway up and opened up a minute's advantage on the chasers.

The pair crested the summit together but Fisher-Black proved strongest in the uphill sprint to the line.

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