O Gran Camino

A hard individual time trial scheduled on the third stage of the Spanish race added some much-needed salt and pepper to the fight for the general classification, especially as the gaps were minimal after the first two days, both decided in a bunch sprint. The presence of the third-category Alto de Sabadelle (4.9km, 5.7%) in the first part of the 15.6km course was decisive in the way the ranking looked at the end of the stage, as those challenging ramps of the climb sitting just outside Ourense made for some important gaps before the queen stage of Gran Camiño.

Fourth overall before the start, Thomas Pesenti put together a decent time trial on the roads to Pereiro de Aguiar despite not being a specialist, his time of 24:34 – after averaging 38km/h – helping the 25-year-old Italian remain the best placed Soudal Quick-Step rider on the general classification at the end of the third stage, which was won by Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech).

Four classified climbs – including a long first-category one – all stacked in the second part of Saturday’s stage and an elevation gain of almost 2800 meters will be the ingredients of the penultimate stage, where both Pesenti and Mauri Vansevenant will have a chance to make their way into the top ten.

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