Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise
207 km
Monday 8 September
Stage 3: Néris-les-Bains – Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise. 207 km. Start at 11.40 am. 111 riders at the start. Klemme wins in style after a difficult stage with several attacks. Hermans takes command of the overall.
After many unsuccessful attacks, Thire (FRA) manages to break away at kilometre 16. Jensen (DEN) joins him at kilometre 22. At the top of the côte de la Bosse (km 28), the two men lead by 3’35 on the bunch (classification at the top: Thire, Jensen, Schmah (SUI), Bonnafond (FRA)). At kilometre 40, Wiss (SUI) and Janiszewski (POL) launch an attack. At the top of the second climb of the day (Côte des Boulards, km 49), Thire and Jensen keep a 3’35 advantage on the two chasing riders, and 7’40 on the bunch. The two chasers speed up and catch up the leaders at kilometre 65. At the first bonus-sprint, in Saint-Clément de Regnat (km 69), Jensen comes first ahead of Thire and Wiss. At this very moment, the break away takes its advantage on the bunch up to 11’40.
From then on, the pack eases up its pace and moves closer to the escapees. At the top of the Côte de la Croix de Ris (km 92,5), Wiss makes it first ahead of Janiszewski, Thire and Jensen while the pack remains 6’35 adrift. Frisch (DEN) and Bonnafond decide to take off on a counter-attack. At the entry of the feeding zone, they are 5’30 behind the leaders while the gap is still of 6’30 over the main bunch. At the top of the Côte de Cacot, Thire earns the most points ahead of Janiszewski, Wiss and Jensen. Frisch and Bonnafond move closer at 2’, and the pack is 4’35 adrift. The front riders finally join up at kilometre 125, while the gap with the main pack stabilises at 2’. The race changes dramatically from then on with several counter-attacks occurring. Klyuev (RUS) et Heymans (LUX) are the first to take off. Then Gallopin and Kunshin break away followed by Borchi (ITA). The different chasers slowly but surely move closer to the leaders. Eight riders join up and reach the intermediate sprint at Balbigny (km 166) won by Wiss ahead of Janiszewski and Jensen. Gallopin, Kunshin and Frisch are 37’’ behind, Borchi and Bonnafond, suffering a fall are at 2’ and the pack is 3’15 off the leading pace.
At kilomètre 170, Gallopin and Kunshin catch up with the leaders while Borchi and Bonnafond move back into the main pack. Gallopin continues his effort on his own and ikncreases the gap over his former breakaway companions. After that attack, the chasing group breaks apart. Gallopin hangs on to his lead ahead of the greedy pack. On the sprint line at Bourg-Chanin (km 189), Gallopin sees his lead grow to 1’15 over Wiss and Frisch. The pack is 2’ adrift.
In the penultimate climb, Gallopin carries on leading while one after the other, his chasers are caught by the pack. At the top of the Côte de la Croix Rouge, Gallopin makes it clear in the lead with a 50” advantage over Wiss, Trotta (ITA), Amador (CRC), Taaramae (EST) and Gauthier (FRA). The pack is 1’10 behind. But the efforts prove to be vain and Gallopin can’t keep up his fast pace any longer. He is eventually caught with 8 kilometres to go.
In the last climb up to Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise, several attacks take place. A little group of riders takes off including Klemme, Hermans and Pirazzi. Coppel does his best to catch up. With one kilometre to go, the pace eases up even more. With 500 metres to go at the toughest part of the steep climb, patient Klemme makes his move and attacks. He eventually wins the stage ahead of Hermans who is happy to capture the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
“It was a difficult stage, very hilly with narrow roads and one had to be extremely careful from start to finish. I had failed to win yesterday because I had been trapped in the last part, so I really wanted to do something today. I’m therefore very happy with this victory”.