Remco Evenepoel is the team’s highest-ranked rider ahead of the queen stage.
Containing seven classified climbs, stage 3 between Wadowice and Bielsko-Biala was the longest of this year’s Tour de Pologne, 203.1 kilometers that despite several long-range attacks had to wait for the finishing stretch to find out the winner.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step controlled the stage, constantly chewing into the four-man breakaway’s advantage and making sure of pegging them back before the final circuit. Mattia Cattaneo, Dries Devenyns and James Knox traded turns at the front of the peloton, working tirelessly and protecting Remco Evenepoel until under the flamme rouge, where the fight for positioning became intense ahead of what looked to be a reduced bunch sprint.
In the end, Richard Carapaz (Ineos) jumped clear from the bunch and took the win, denying the puncheurs, as Evenepoel sailed home safely tucked in the group and will go into the penultimate day just a handful of seconds off the first places.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
