Tour of the Alps: Masnada wins stage 3

Fausto Masnada (Androni-Giocattoli-Sidermec) claimed the biggest victory of his career when he clipped away from an elite group to win stage 3 of the Tour of the Alps at Baselga di Piné.

The Italian succeeded in clawing his way back up to the select front group when the road levelled out in the final kilometres following a stiff climb towards the finish, and he proceeded to show considerable nous by attacking with 1.5km remaining to take the spoils.

Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Sky) won the sprint for second place ahead of Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida).

Pavel Sivakov (Team Sky) retains the overall lead after coming home in the same group, five seconds down on Masnada.

The short, explosive stage featured the uncategorised climb towards Montagnaga in the finale ahead of the 4km plateau that led to the finish at Baselga di Piné. Elie Gesbert (Arkea-Samsic) was the last survivor of the day’s early break, but the Frenchman was caught on the final ascent as Majka and Nibali attacked forcefully from the dwindling group of favourites.

Nibali had already signalled his intentions by placing his brother Antonio in the day’s early break and then sending teammate Hermann Pernsteiner on the offensive at the base of the climb. The Italian’s decision to respond to Majka’s attack with a shade under 6km to go prompted Chris Froome (Team Sky) to take up the reins of pursuit in the main group.

Froome had lost ground on the descent of Monte Giovo on Tuesday, but he looked rather more assured here, as he towed Sivakov and Geoghegan Hart back up to Nibali and Majka. The Briton’s pace-making whittled the front group down to just seven riders – Jan Hirt (Astana) and Mattia Cattaneo (Androni-Sidermec) also managed to keep pace – at the top of the climb, where Nibali made one last attempt to go clear alone.

Together with Evgeny Shalunov (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Masnada managed to regain contact as the road levelled out in the closing kilometres, and the Italian sensed an opportunity as the nine-man leading group approached the finish. With 1500 metres to go, he attacked forcefully from the rear of the group and quickly established a winning gap.

A native of Bergamo, Masnada is in his third season as a professional. He caught the eye on his Giro d’Italia debut in 2018 with an aggressive display at Gran Sasso d’Italia, and he reached Rome in 26th place overall. Winner of the Tour of Hainan last season, he showcased his recent form with third overall at the Giro di Sicilia.

In the overall standings, Pavel Sivakov retains the cyclamen jersey of race leader and maintains his buffer of 8 seconds over Jan Hirt. Mattia Cattaneo lies third at 23 seconds, with Majka fourth at 35 seconds. Geoghegan Hart remains in contention in fifth at 37 seconds, with Vincenzo Nibali a further two seconds back.

How it unfolded

At just 106km in length and with barely a metre of flat on the agenda, stage 3 of the Tour of the Alps promised to be a breathless affair. After a rapid start on leaving Salorno, the early break took shape after 12km. Antonio Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Manuele Boaro (Astana Pro Team), Evgeny Shalunov (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Elie Gesbert (Arkea-Samsic), Nicola Bagioli (Nippo-Vini Fantini), Carlos Quintero (Manzana Postobon), Francesco Gavazzi (Androni-Sidermec), Nicolau Beltran (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Fernando Barcelo (Euskadi-Murias), Simone Velasco (Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia), Michele Corradini and Marco Tizza (Italian national team) forged clear on the road towards Palù di Giovo, home of Francesco Moser and Gilberto Simoni, and established a maximum lead of 3:40 over the peloton.

With no general classification threat in the move, Team Sky were content to leave the bulk of the chasing duties to AG2R La Mondiale, who were eager to set up Alexis Vuillermoz for a tilt at stage victory. Quintero led the break over the summit of Brusago but their unity gradually began to fragment on the category 2 haul up Lago di Santa Colomba.

Gesbert was the principal aggressor, attacking 3km from the summit and bringing Quintero and Antonio Nibali with him. The Frenchman responded in kind when Antonio Nibali launched an attack of his own shortly afterwards, and he led over the summit.

The break reformed on the long drop over the other side, but Gesbert continued his onslaught, eventually slipping clear with 15km to go in the company of Barcelo. Gesbert and Barcelo hit the base of the final ascent with 20 seconds in hand on their erstwhile companions and a minute on the peloton, but the gap began to drop rapidly once the climb began in earnest with 10km remaining.

Gesbert dropped Barcelo with 8km to go, but by then, it was clear that his was a forlorn effort. Accelerations from Zeits and Pernsteiner brought the peloton to within touching distance, and his adventure ended when Majka and Vincenzo Nibali attacked forcefully with 6km to go.

The race seemed to begin all over again at that point, as the principal contenders for overall honours began to test one another, but nobody could break clear on the ascent to Montagnaga. Masnada fought his way back into contention as the gradient eased, and then seized the moment when it presented itself.

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