Ruta del Sol: Miguel Angel Lopez wins stage 3

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Miguel Ángel López (Movistar) took victory in the third and Queen stage of the Ruta Del Sol. 

The Movistar leader also took the overall lead after attacking on the penultimate climb with only Antwan Tolhoek (Jumbo-Visma) able to respond before distancing his overall rival in the sprint for the line.  

Ineos Grenadiers had an afternoon to forget as first race leader Ethan Hayter and then fellow general classification hopeful Carlos Rodriguez both cracked on the penultimate climb. 

López and Tolhoek bridged across to the break including Movistar teammate Hector Carretero before the descent to the final climb at Villarrodrigo 

Carretero drove the pace on the 5.8 per cent climb to Villarrodrigo and Lopez put in a decisive attack 300 metres from the line with Tolhoek gapped in second, and breakaway rider James Piccoli (Israel Start-Up Nation) finishing third. 

López leads the race overall by 20 seconds from Tolhoek while after being in the breakaway all day Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural- Seguros) is third overall 55 seconds down. 

Tomorrow’s fourth stage will be the first of the final two days for the sprinters with Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck – Quick Step) and Andre Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) amongst those ready to battle it out. 

“My team did an absolutely amazing job,” said López after taking the stage win and overall lead. 

“I found the seconds that I wanted in the overall and I found a few more at the end of the day. It’s nice to pay back my teammates after a great day. 

“It was great for (Hector) Carretero to help me in the final and we made the gap and the selection which proved to be important for the day. 

“The terrain is very difficult here with all the ramps and no flat at all. I’m very happy with the victory. We put in a lot of work from the team. 

“Our team had one objective today and that was to take the lead in this race and we got a stage victory as well. It’s not just for me but for my team as well." 

How it unfolded

Another hot day greeted riders for the stage at the Ruta Del Sol with temperatures reaching 26 degrees Celsius and no cooling breeze. 

After winning a grueling finish the previous day on the steep and cobbled climb to the finish Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) started in yellow ahead of the crucial stage with a mountain top finish on Villarrodrigo.  

King of the mountain’s leader Rui Oliveira (UAE-Team Emirates) had looked to get into the initial breakaway just seven kilometres into the stage, but he eventually dropped back to the peloton suffering from his injuries having crashed in each of the opening two stages. 

Eventually 12 riders went clear including Nikita Stalnov (Astana – Premier Tech), Nathan Van Hooydonck (Team Jumbo – Visma), Michael Ries (Trek – Segafredo), Hector Carretero (Movistar) James Piccoli (Israel Start-Up Nation), Philip Walsleben (Alpecin-Fenix), Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural- Seguros), Thomas Spengers (Sport Vlaanderen- Baloise) and Urko Berrade Fernandez (Equipo Kern Pharma). 

Euskaltel-Euskadi were the only team to have two riders in the break with Mikel Bizkarra and Luis Angel Mate. 

However, the size on the break and with Amezqueta sitting just 48 seconds down on general classification meant Ineos Grenadiers kept them on a short leash on the mountainous stage keeping the gap under three minutes. 

On the day’s biggest climb over 14 kilometres (Alto del Fustal) Movistar started pushing the pace with 56 kilometres of the stage remaining for leader Miguel Angel Lopez, who started the day 10 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Hayter. 

With Ineos Grenadiers equal to the pace Movistar eventually allowed the race leader’s team to regain control and the gap to the break reduced to two minutes with 46 kilometres remaining. 

By the first of two final climbs within the last 23 kilometres the gap was just over a minute to a hard-working breakaway as Owain Doull led the Ineos train. 

The breakaway eventually exploded with Piccoli dragging Carretero, Bizkarra, Fernandez and Amezqueta with him while Movistar once again forced the pace putting pressure on Hayter. 

With 19 kilometres to go the pace of Movistar on the Alto del Futsal eventually cracked Hayter. 

A kilometre later Lopez attacked and was joined by Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), who sat 21 seconds down on general classification. 

The pair were joined by Jumbo-Visma rider Tolhoek who was also within touching distance of the overall, just 28 seconds down on Hayter. 

Rodriguez was the next Ineos Grenadiers rider to crack under the pace of Lopez who had bridged across to the breakaway and teammate Carretero with 15 kilometres remaining before the descent to the final four-kilometre climb to the finish. 

Carretero was driving the leading group down the descent and on the flat to the final ascent for team leader Lopez in a move to prevent Ineos Grenadiers pair Rodriguez and Eddie Dunbar regaining ground at 1:13 behind while Hayter was 1:49 behind in a large chasing group with five kilometres remaining. 

Onto the final four-kilometre climb to Villarrodrigo at 5.8 per cent, Carretero continued to drive the pace on the lower slopes. 

With a kilometre to go López made his move but on the shallow climb he was unable to shake Tolhoek and Piccoli. 

López launched his sprint in the last 300 metres and eventually gapped Tolhoek who took second with Piccoli finishing third.