Getting ready to go! Stage 3
Tour De Yorkshire 2015 | Stage 3
Ben Hermans solo’s to victory in Leeds on the final day of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire.Author: Chris Maher, Images courtesy of: www.chrismaher.co.uk
03 May 2015
Ben Hermans solo’s to victory in Leeds on the final day of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire.
BMC’s dream of edging the might of Sky from overall victory came to nothing through-out the course of the day. Placing three men, Hermans, Greg Van Avermaet and Samuel Sanchez in the final break, the twenty strong group also contained race leader Lars-Petter Nordhaug.
Nordhaug’s slender ten second lead in the general classification after stage two sought the protection of Philip Deigan and David Garcia Lopez. Sky had controlled the pace through-out the day, but with everything still to play-for, there was still time for all the top riders to play their cards. Thomas Voeckler, Europcar, found himself isolated with-in the group and with time running short, so where their chances.
The day had got off with a small group going away. Six categorised climbs and two sprints with time bonuses where all that was left of this five-hundred and fifteen kilometre race. With no real flat surfaces to talk about today, this was the hardest stage in this years event.
Race start in Wakefield...
Ian Bibby, NFTO topped the first three climbs, Cote de Holmfirth, Scapegoat and Hebden Bridge, accompanied by Nicholas Edet, Cofidis, James McLaughton, Team GB, Lawson Craddock, Team Giant Alpecin and Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg, MTN Qhubeka.
The momentum of the lead group began to falter running onto the Cote de Goose Eye, and Craddock set-about his charge to the finish. Being the strongest of the early break-away, had gained over four minutes by the top of the climb.
Bibby over the Cote de Scapegoat
Joined by Edet, the two-some went through the first sprint of the day in Ilkley before reaching the penultimate climb, the Cote de Cow and Calf. Everyone-else had been consumed by the peloton. A small dig by IAM Cycling’s Sondre Holst Enger neutralised the final one second bonus before local lad Joshua Edmundson, Team GB charged up the climb. The lead now reduced to under three minutes.
Edet took the final climb, the Cote de Chevin and Craddock the final bonus three seconds in Arthington.
This was the last chance for any would-be assailants to challenge Nordhaug, and Sanchez tried his best for the up-hill sprint and one bonus second on-offer.
The final dice was rolled when Hermans set-about his time trial to the finish-line. With little under ten kilometres to-go, Sky kept the chase pace high, but no-one had anything else to give. Hermans caught Craddock with only five kilometres remaining, and held his-own right up to the line.
The chasing bunch where only one-hundred meters behind, and team-mate Van Avermaet took the glory. Nordhaug had saw the bonus points eaten-up, and rolled-over in sixth place. His team-mates that had kept him safe all-day, were just off the back of the bunch. Craddock who had been away most of the day with Edet, lost only a minute or so, in twenty-second place.
Setting the pace, Sky protect Nordhaug's lead...
Climbs Classification – Stage 3
Hole Firth – 40Km
Bibby, Edet, McLaughlin, Janse Van Rensburg.
Scapegoat – 55.5Km
Bibby, McLaughlin, Edet, Janse Van Rensburg.
Hebden Bridge – 95Km
Bibby, Edet, McLaughlin, Janse Van Rensburg.
Goose Eye – 110Km
Craddock, Edet, McLaughlen, Bibby.
Cow & Calf – 131.5Km
Edet, Craddock, Edmondson, Rosskopf.
Chevin – 143Km
Edet, Craddock, Deignan, Lopez Garcia.
Points Classification – Stage 3
Ilkley – 129.5Km
Craddock, Edet, Enger.
Arthington – 151.5Km
Craddock, Edet, Nordhaug.
Arrive – 167Km
Hermans, Van Avermaet, Simon, Sanchez, Duijn, Nordhaug, Kirsch, Sprengers, Kruijswijk, Voeckler.
Tour De Yorkshire 2015 Winner, Team Sky's Lars-Petter Nordhaug
Stage Result: Wakefield to Leeds – 167 Kms, 4:27.22 Hrs, Ave Sp 37.477 Kmph.
Pl | Dos | Name | Team | Nat | Bonus | P | Time | ||||
1 | 33 | HERMANS Ben | BMC | BEL | B:10″ | 00″ | |||||
2 | 31 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | BMC | BEL | B:06″ | 09″ | |||||
3 | 91 | SIMON Julien | COF | FRA | B:04″ | ” | |||||
4 | 36 | SANCHEZ Samuel | BMC | ESP | ” | ||||||
5 | 103 | DUIJN Huub | ROP | NED | ” | ||||||
6 | 16 | NORDHAUG Lars-Petter | SKY | NOR | B:01″ | ” | |||||
7 | 113 | KIRSCH Alex | CLT | LUX | ” | ||||||
8 | 65 | SPRENGERS Thomas | TSV | BEL | ” | ||||||
9 | 41 | KRUIJSWIJK Steven | TLJ | NED | ” | ||||||
10 | 71 | VOECKLER Thomas | EUC | FRA | ” | ||||||
11 | 81 | CUMMINGS Stephen | MTN | GBR | ” | ||||||
12 | 35 | ROSSKOPF Joseph | BMC | USA | ” | ||||||
13 | 175 | LAMPIER Steven | RAL | GBR | ” | ||||||
14 | 135 | HANDLEY Richard | JLT | GBR | ” | ||||||
15 | 146 | ROWSELL Erick | MGT | GBR | ” | ||||||
16 | 114 | LARSSON Gustav | CLT | SWE | ” | ||||||
17 | 123 | DAVIES Scott | GBR | GBR | ” | ||||||
18 | 97 | ROSSETTO Stéphane | COF | FRA | ” | ||||||
19 | 13 | DEIGNAN Philip | SKY | IRL | 16″ | ||||||
20 | 15 | LOPEZ GARCIA David | SKY | ESP | 31″ | ||||||
21 | 94 | EDET Nicolas | COF | FRA | B:04″ | 39″ | |||||
22 | 22 | CRADDOCK Lawson | TGA | USA | B:06″ | 01’19” | |||||
23 | 124 | EDMONDSON Joshua | GBR | GBR | 04’03” | ||||||
24 | 162 | BIALOBLOCKI Marcin | ONE | POL | 05’35” | ||||||
25 | 111 | DOWNING Russell | CLT | GBR | ” | ||||||
26 | 61 | DECLERCQ Tim | TSV | BEL | ” | ||||||
27 | 67 | VAN SPEYBROUCK Pieter | TSV | BEL | ” | ||||||
28 | 55 | REYNES Vicente | IAM | ESP | 05’38” | ||||||
29 | 52 | DEGAND Thomas | IAM | BEL | ” | ||||||
30 | 56 | SCHELLING Patrick | IAM | SUI | ” | ||||||
31 | 44 | ROOSEN Timo | TLJ | NED | ” | ||||||
32 | 173 | DOMAGALSKI Karol | RAL | POL | ” | ||||||
33 | 98 | TURGIS Anthony | COF | FRA | ” | ||||||
34 | 95 | HARDY Romain | COF | FRA | ” | ||||||
35 | 143 | MCLAUGHLIN James | MGT | GBR | ” | ||||||
36 | 136 | HOUSE Kristian | JLT | GBR | ” | ||||||
37 | 27 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | TGA | NED | ” | ||||||
38 | 17 | PUCCIO Salvatore | SKY | ITA | ” | ||||||
39 | 78 | QUEMENEUR Perrig | EUC | FRA | ” | ||||||
40 | 75 | GAUTIER Cyril | EUC | FRA | ” | ||||||
41 | 156 | MC EVOY Jonathan | NPC | GBR | ” | ||||||
42 | 1 | WIGGINS Bradley | WGN | GBR | ” | ||||||
43 | 141 | HOLOHAN Liam | MGT | GBR | ” | ||||||
44 | 32 | DRUCKER Jean-Pierre | BMC | LUX | 08’21” | ||||||
45 | 54 | PELLAUD Simon | IAM | SUI | ” | ||||||
46 | 148 | STEWART Tom | MGT | GBR | ” | ||||||
47 | 68 | VERGAERDE Otto | TSV | BEL | ” | ||||||
48 | 46 | VAN DER LIJKE Nick | TLJ | NED | ” | ||||||
49 | 104 | GROENEWEGEN Dylan | ROP | NED | ” | ||||||
50 | 66 | STEELS Stijn | TSV | BEL | ” |
Top Three Podium, Voeckler, Nordhaug, Sanchez
General Classification:
1 16 NORDHAUG Lars-Petter SKY NOR 12h47’56” 00″
2 36 SANCHEZ Samuel BMC ESP 12h48’07” 11″
3 71 VOECKLER Thomas EUC FRA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
4 97 ROSSETTO Stéphane COF FRA 12h48’09” 13″
5 13 DEIGNAN Philip SKY IRL 12h48’20” 24″
6 33 HERMANS Ben BMC BEL 12h49’01” 01’05”
7 31 VAN AVERMAET Greg BMC BEL 12h49’11” 01’15”
8 146 ROWSELL Erick MGT GBR 12h49’17” 01’21”
9 103 DUIJN Huub ROP NED 12h49’23” 01’27”
10 135 HANDLEY Richard JLT GBR ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
11 81 CUMMINGS Stephen MTN GBR 12h49’26” 01’30”
12 123 DAVIES Scott GBR GBR ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
13 15 LOPEZ GARCIA David SKY ESP 12h49’48” 01’52”
14 91 SIMON Julien COF FRA 12h50’24” 02’28”
15 65 SPRENGERS Thomas TSV BEL 12h50’28” 02’32”
16 35 ROSSKOPF Joseph BMC USA ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
17 113 KIRSCH Alex CLT LUX 12h50’34” 02’38”
18 175 LAMPIER Steven RAL GBR ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
19 114 LARSSON Gustav CLT SWE 12h50’36” 02’40”
20 98 TURGIS Anthony COF FRA 12h54’44” 06’48”
21 94 EDET Nicolas COF FRA 12h55’41” 07’45”
22 124 EDMONDSON Joshua GBR GBR 12h55’46” 07’50”
23 111 DOWNING Russell CLT GBR 12h55’54” 07’58”
24 17 PUCCIO Salvatore SKY ITA 12h55’57” 08’01”
25 78 QUEMENEUR Perrig EUC FRA 12h56’00” 08’04”
26 173 DOMAGALSKI Karol RAL POL 12h56’03” 08’07”
27 67 VAN SPEYBROUCK Pieter TSV BEL 12h57’12” 09’16”
28 162 BIALOBLOCKI Marcin ONE POL ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
29 61 DECLERCQ Tim TSV BEL 12h57’18” 09’22”
30 27 VAN DER HAAR Lars TGA NED 12h57’21” 09’25”
Jersey Holders, Nicholas Edet, Lars-Petter Nordhaug, Ian Bibby
Dimension Data Combativity Award Ian Bibby NFTO
Yorkshire Bank Points Overall Lars Petter Nordhaug Sky
P&O Best Climber Overall Nicolas Edet Cofidis
Best Team Overall Team Sky
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Finish-line Fans await the arrival!