Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) won the 166km stage 3 of the Tour of Turkey between Bodrum and Marmaris. The former Italian champion was the fastest of an audacious breakaway group of five riders that escaped on the final climb with 10km to go. Simon Spilak (Lampre-Farnese Vini) was second and Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis) third.
The stage once again set off under sunny skies with attacks starting immediately, but it was not until kilometre 27 that a group successfully escaped the peloton. Maciej Bodnar (Liquigas-Doimo), Nelson Oliveira (Xacobeo-Galicia), Diego Caccia (ISD-Neri) and Adam Sznitko (CCC-Polsat-Polkowice) were deemed no threat by the peloton and were allowed to build a lead of 3’47” by the 50km mark. The lead peaked at 4’50” in mid-stage, but fell steadily with the HTC-Columbia and ITC-Neri teams on the front of the peloton.
With little more than 50km to go, on the climb to Muğla University, Sznitko punctured and was swallowed by the peloton. Accelerations at the front, led by ISD-Neri pulled a group of around 30 riders clear as they crested the summit; the group caught the breakaway riders so there were around 35 riders out in front. Race leader André Greipel (HTC-Columbia) was present in the group, but with only 2 teammates. Luckily for the German a second group managed to bridge, making a group of around 70, with more of his teammates.
There were a number of attacks on the descent, including one from Visconti, but it was his ISD-Neri teammate Dmytro Grabovsky that managed to get away, to be joined by Greipel’s HTC-Columbia teammate Aleksejs Saramotins. The pair was caught fairly quickly on the rapid descent, to be replaced out front by Sergio Lagana (De Rosa-Stac Plastic).
Lagana was allowed a brief lead before being pulled back in by HTC-Columbia, who looked to have everything under control for setting up Greipel for his third straight stage win. Visconti had other ideas though, and on the final small climb with 10km to go the little Italian attacked once more, with Tarramäe countering and bringing two teammates with him.
Out front now were Visconti, Taaramäe, Spilak, Giampaolo Chuela (Footon-Servetto) and Taaramäe’s Cofidis teammates David Moncutié and Rémi Pauriol. With the Estonian in fourth place overall, just 20 seconds behind Greipel, the three Cofidis riders made sure the breakaway stuck, with Moncutié working hard.
Taaramäe tried to escape with less that 5km to go, but was chased down by Visconti and the five arrived at the finish together where Visconti was fastest.
With the breakaway group finishing 13 seconds ahead of the peloton, Taaramäe takes over the overall race lead from stage 1 and 2 winner Greipel.
Result stage 3
1. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD-Neri
2. Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
3. Rein Taaramäe (Est) Cofidis
4. Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis
5. David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis @ 7s
6. Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo @ 13s
7. Gustavo Dominguez (Spa) Xacobeo-Galicia
8. Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis
9. Arkaitz Duran (Spa) Footon-Servetto
10. Federico Canuti (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox
Standngs after stage 3
1. Rein Taaramäe (Est) Cofidis
2. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD-Neri @ 1s
3. André Greipel (Ger) HTC-Columbia @ 6s