third.stage.basque

Britain’s Steve Cummings timed his break for the line perfectly to claim the 193.5km third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country from Vitoria to Lesaka on Wednesday.

Cummings surged to the front of the pack a kilometre from the finish and held on to see off Australian Simon Gerrans and Italy’s Fabio Felline in a time of 5hrs 01min 58sec.

There was no change in the overall standings as Spaniard Mikel Landa maintained his one second lead over Dutchman Wilco Kelderman with Landa’s Sky teammate Sergio Henao of Colombia a further four seconds back.

Giro d’Italia champion Alberto Contador remains 11 seconds off Landa in fifth with Tour de France runner-up Nairo Quintana a further four seconds behind in eighth and Vuelta a Espana winner Fabio Aru 22 seconds off the lead.

The six-stage race continues on Thursday with a mountainous 165km ride from Lesaka to Orio.

Results from the third stage of Tour of the Basque Country, a 193.5km ride from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Lesaka on Wednesday:

1. Stephen Cummings (GBR/DDT) 5hr 01min 57sec, 2. Simon Gerrans (AUS/ORI) at same time, 3. Fabio Felline (ITA/TRE) s.t., 4. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA/ETI) s.t., 5. Giovanni Visconti (ITA/MOV) s.t., 6. Simon Clarke (AUS/CAN) s.t., 7. Tony Gallopin (FRA/LOT) s.t., 8. Peio Bilbao (ESP/CJR) s.t., 9. Sergey Chernetsky (RUS/KAT) s.t., 10. Sebastian Heano (COL/SKY) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 13hr 39min 35sec, 2. Wilco Kelderman (NED/LNL) at 0:01sec, 3. Sebastian Heano (COL/SKY) 0:05, 4. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/BMC) 0:09, 5. Alberto Contador (ESP/TIN) 0:11, 6. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 0:13., 7. Rui Costa (POR/LAM) 0:15, 8. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 0:15, 9. Robert Gesink (NED/LNL) 0:15, 10. Sebastien Reichenbach (SWI/FDJ) 0:15

Selected others:

11. Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 0:15, 15. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) 0:22

– Agence France-Presse

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