Brajkovic wins weather-shortened queen stage

Janez Brajkovic (Astana) won the snow-shortened queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya, ahead of Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Mickael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale). The three were part of a 12-rider escape group which got away early and took advantage of the shortening of the stage to take the win.

The bad weather cut the stage from 210.9km to 155km and finished on the lower slopes of the penultimate climb, the HC-rated Port del Canto. The shortened stage eliminated the full ascent of the Port del Canto and the following mountain finish on the HC-rated Port-Ainé.

The peloton is now 39 riders smaller after stage three as five riders didn't start while 34 abandoned.

"It was a terrible day of rain," said Golas, the stage runner-up. "First rain, and then rain became snow. It was really difficult for communication and to ride. At the end of the race we knew that the finish was changed, but we arrived at a certain moment and saw some of the judges around. I understood that there was the finish. I started pulling to do my sprint and don't know if I passed for 1st, 2nd or 3rd. It doesn't matter. It was really difficult."

The race officials decided not to count stage three's time towards general classification, so Michael Albasini (GreenEdge) will remain in the leader's jersey. The GreenEdge rider holds a 1:32 lead over Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) and Mikael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale) with 25 additional riders tied on time with Hesjedal and Cherel.

Spring Classics weather in Spain

Cold and rain greeted the riders at the start line in La Vall d'en Bas, with a foreboding promise of what the peloton would face on the race's queen stage. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) decided not to take the start after considering the combination of the many climbs, the bad weather and his injuries from the previous day's crash. He was one of five who did not start, and many others abandoned during the stage, including 2010 Tour de France winner Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan).

The action started early, as a crash at km 10 took down a number of riders, including Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale). All of the riders involved in the crash were able to continue except Julian Dean (GreenEdge) and Frantisek Rabon (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), who were taken to hospital.

The first climb, the category one Alt de Coubet, came at km 17, and Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank) and Johan Tschopp (BMC Racing Team) took off on the ascent. They were joined on the descent by Janez Brajkovic (Astana).

Two other groups caught up with them, and eventually the group consisted of Sorensen, Tschopp, Brajkovic, Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda), Petr Ignatenko and Timofey Kritskiy (Katusha), Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank), Romain Bardet and Mickael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale), Thomas Rohregger (RadioShack-Nissan) and Matteo Carrara (Vacansoleil-DCM). The 12 pulled away with a lead of up to 11 minutes on the mountainous course.

The inclement weather continued unabated, with rain, fog and cold, plus enough heavy snow at the finish to send out snow plows. In fact, it was bad enough that race organisers had to capitulate and end the race early, after only 155km. That took the field to within 10km of the top of what was to be the day's penultimate climb, the Hors Category Port del Canto, and entirely cut the closing climb, Port Aine, also HC ranked.

The judges' decision worked in favour of the break group, although there was immediately talk of not counting the results for the GC. The lead group, which was reduced to nine riders as they climbed the Port del Canto, held an eight-minute lead as they approached the new finish line.

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