Tony Gallopin (Cofidis) won the third stage of the Tour de Luxembourg between Eschwweiler and Diekirch in a bunch sprint. The Frenchman beat stage 1 winner Giovanni Visconti (ISD-Neri) and Alexandre Geniez (Skil-Shimano) into second and third at the end of 191.5km.
Before the bunch sprint happened, the inevitable breakaway escaped in the early kilometres as Aitor Hernandez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Tom Van den Haute (Landbouwkrediet), Hakan Nilsson (Differdange), Freddy Bichot (Bbox Bouyges Telecom) and Angel Vicioso (Andalucia-CajaSur) got away. The five riders built a lead that fluctuated between 2 and 3 minutes before settling around 3’45” as Vicioso chased mountain points on the eight classified climbs.
As the leaders crossed the finish line to start the first of three 10.5km loops, and with their lead coming down below 3 minutes, Bichot attacked the other four and tried to reach the finish alone. As the speed in the peloton increased, the other four riders were caught and Bichot himself as captured with as the race approached the final lap.
On the final climb of the Broderbour Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) attacked, and just like yesterday the only rider to go with him was race leader Matteo Carrara (Vacansoleil). Suddenly the race was a carbon copy of yesterday’s stage with Schleck and Carrara pursued by a group led by Lance Armstrong and Andreas Klöden of RadioShack.
With 2km to go the RadioShack led peloton caught Schleck and Carrara, meaning that a sprint was inevitable. 21-year-old Gallopin, the son of former rider Joël and nephew of RadioShack director Alain, proved to be the fastest and took his first ever professional victory.
Other than Schleck’s late attack, which had been followed Carrara, there was very little action in the overall classification. All of the main contenders finished in the main peloton and so there are no changes to the top of the overall standings.
Result stage 3
1. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis
2. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD-Neri
3. Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Skil-Shimano
4. Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha
5. Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil
Standings after stage 3
1. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Vacansoleil
2. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Saxo Bank @ 1s
3. Lance Amstrong (USA) Team RadioShack @ 30s
4. Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Team Sky @ 34s
5. Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha @ 34s