Tour De Yorkshire 2015 | Stage 3 Results

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	”