Surpresa, Cardoso Pulls Out Win – 2010 Santos Tour Down Under Stage 3
With an uphill finish in Stirling, the expectations for the sprinter/climbers in the peloton, such as Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and current World Champion, Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), were great. And while both men represented themselves well, finishing second and third, respectively, on the day, it would be the relatively unknown Portuguese rider Manuel Cardoso (Footon-Servetto) who would stake claim to 132.5 km Stage 3 of the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under; his first ProTour victory.
On a scorching hot day, the stage from Unley to Stirling started off like the previous two, with several breakaway attempts. Strangely enough, the break that would finally stick also happened to be the most dangerous for any in the peloton who had hopes of bringing home a stage victory.
A five-man group composed of the eternal breakaway, Jens Voigt (Team Saxo Bank), rising Australian star, Jack Bobridge (Team Garmin-Transitions), Karsten Kroon (BMC Racing), Simon Clarke (Team UniSA-Australia), and Maciej Paterski (Liquigas-Doimo) managed to get off-the-front midway through the contest. The break would work together well, but the group was never allowed to build more than a minute and a half lead.
Valverde's Caisse d'Epargne team exerted the pressure on the road, and the sun from above, to help wilt the lead group down to two, Bobridge and Clarke, as the peloton began the first of two finishing circuits. Despite a series of late attacks, the peloton would eventually be brought back together for the leg breaking uphill finish.
The 27-year old Cardoso, the current Portuguese National Road Race Champion, proved the strongest of the bunch, while race leader Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia) did just enough to remain in the ochre jersey.
Results - Stage 3
1. Manuel Cardoso (Footon Servetto)
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
3. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
General Classification After Stage 3
1. Andre Greipel (HTC-Columbia)
2. Greg Henderson (Team Sky)
3. Gert Steegmans (Team RadioShack)
4. Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)
5. Robbie McEwen (Team Katusha)
6. Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
7. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team)
8. Andriy Grivko (Astana)
9. Graeme Brown (Rabobank)
10. Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Transitions)
More:
Manuel Cardoso wins third stage of Tour Down Under
Team Sky cycling boss denies pressure to deliver
Cardoso Surprises In Uphill Finish
Next: Mutual Community Stage 4 - Norwood to Goolwa (149.5km)
Photo: James Knowler
Related Posts:
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)