Ruta del Sol: Fuglsang wins stage 3

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Race leader Jakob Fuglsang (Astana Pro Team) has strengthened his overall lead in the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol and further increased his prospects of taking a second straight title after he outpowered a small group of favourites in a chaotic finale on stage 3.

In a fraught, constantly undulating, last kilometre, with riders already close to exhaustion by the hardest mountain stage of this year's race, two of Fuglsang's key rivals, Dylan Teuns (Bahrain McLaren) and Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott) managed to gain a tiny gap on the Dane, who seemed to be flagging.

But on a sharp righthand bend some 50 metres from the finish - the last corner of the day - both Teuns and Haig abruptly, and for reasons yet to be fully established, went straight on and off-course, down the race vehicles' diversion lane. 

Before the two could wheel round again, Fugslang - following close behind but not taking the same line - was perfectly placed to storm past and across the finish line a little further on, his arms raised in triumph.

Although visibly ruing the chance for a prestigious stage win, overall Haig and Teuns only lost a handful of seconds as a result of their mishap, and the two may yet turn the tables on Fuglsang on the toughest single climb of the race, the brutally difficult first category Alto del Purche on Saturday.

But for now, the Dane's victory has enabled Fuglsang to draw slightly clearer at the head of a still-closely packed top end of the GC, pushing his overall advantage out to 14 seconds on Mikel Landa (Bahrain Mclaren) and 30 seconds on Landa's teammate Pello Bilbao.

How it unfolded

Fuglsang's victory rounded off what had been a very tough day for the entire peloton, with five classifed ascents - two of them first category - and over 3,000 metres of vertical climbing through the never-ending olive groves of Andalucia's most northeasterly province of Jaén.

The peloton split in three almost as soon as the start flag had dropped, and when a lead group of 44 sheered off the front, it was clear Astana would have their work cut out.  The lead group then morphed into a much smaller but still dangerous break of 10 riders, including GC contender Andrey Zeits (Mitchelton-Scott), Movistar co-leader Luis Más, and no less than three riders from Alpecin-Fenix: Floris de Tier, Louis Vervaeke and Jimmy Janssens.

Whether on team orders or for another reason, Zeits dropped out of the running, whilst despite the hefty mountain challenges, the blue jerseys of Astana and Fugslang's bright yellow leader's maillot were able to keep a commendably tight rein on affairs in the chasing peloton. 

Astana were canny or lucky enough to let the break reach the smoothly rising second category drag that formed the final classified climb of the day, with a good 90 second margin to spare - barely enough to stay away, but sufficient to discourage too many counter-attacks. Then despite Mas' best efforts,  by the time the race reached the summit of the broad highway through the city of Baeza the bunch had the stage leaders clearly in their sights.

A blisteringly fast descent towards the Renaissance city of Ubeda then took the race into its technical, switchback finale, culminating with a paved rise through painfully narrow, twisting streets. Once Mas and co were definitively reeled in, Landa began a long, driving acceleration that set things up nicely for Teuns to come over the top and - briefly - seem to put Fugslang into difficulties. But a treacherous right-hand bend put paid to Teuns' chances on a stage win, and indirectly left Fuglsang in control of Andalucia for at least another day.

Saturday's much shorter mountain stage, rolling through the foothills of Sierra Nevada before a repeat of the 2019 ascent of Purche and blisteringly fast drop back to the finish town of Granada, could well see Fuglsang under more sustained attacks. 

Sandwiched between Fuglsang and teammate Ion Izagirre (Astana Pro Team) there are no less than three Bahrain McLaren riders in second to fourth overall - Landa, Teuns and Bilbao  - while Haig, in fifth, will also be keen to give Fuglsang a run for his money. And with only two stages remaining, they will have to take whatever chances they can to topple Fuglsang.

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