The Belgian is just a few seconds off the podium.
Stage three of the Middle East race came with a double dose of action: early crosswinds and the climb to Jebel Jais, one of the longest ascents in the first weeks of the season. The peloton was hoping for a quiet day until the base of the day’s only hurdle, but with the wind picking up with more than 90 kilometers from the finish, the bunch got split into two big groups.
Several general classification riders were caught on the back foot, which resulted in a hectic chase for around 20 kilometers, when the race came back together and two men were allowed to snap the elastic. They remained off the front until the early ramps of the climb, where the peloton numbered some 50-odd riders. One of these was Jan Hirt, and the Tour of Oman runner-up put in a strong dig, getting a gap and forcing the others to work hard in order to reel him in.
A couple of more attacks came, but it was only with 1200 meters to go that a move got away and Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R) took the win. Ilan Van Wilder rode a solid stage, remaining calm until the flamme rouge, where he put in a dig that landed him fifth at the top.
“The echelons made the day a bit nervous and stressful, but I stayed calm and well placed thanks to the excellent job of my Soudal Quick-Step teammates. On the ascent I tried to do my best, but went a bit into the red when I tried to follow the late attacks. Luckily, I didn’t lose time and at the end of the day I am content with how things went. The white jersey is a bonus, but my main goal here is to get a good result in the standings”, said Ilan, who is fourth overall with four stages to go.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
