Itzulia Basque Country: Jonas Vingegaard takes win on brutally steep finale, Landa and Mas round up podium

Jumbo-Visma are back to their winning ways. Jonas Vingegaard benefited of a strong collective work and won stage 3 of the Itzulia Basque Country atop a brutal hilltop finish.

It was a hard day and several riders looked to go up the road, with the dream of a breakaway win. A strong group battled to go up the road including Rémi Cavagna (Soudal - Quick-Step), Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies), Simon Geschke (Cofidis), Nicolas Prodhomme (AG2R Citroën Team), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wnaty) and Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa Samsic) formed the break of the day.

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The many climbs on the day saw the breakaway split in several phases, with many riders suffering already inside the final 50 kilometers. Cavagna and Zimmermann led the late charge in pursuit of success but the pace in the peloton was very high and they were reeled in with 25 kilometers to go. Right after Esteban Chaves, Laurens Huys and Bauke Mollema went on the attack and got a small gap.

In the next ascent - the fourth to the end - Chaves accelerated and went off alone, as the peloton kept seeing some accelerations but remain relatively big. With 8 kilometers to go James Knox and Juan Pedro López attacked in the peloton, and soon after bridged across the front, dropping the Colombian. Moves emerged in the peloton over the penultimate ascent. Knox made a move as the group then did not collaborate and entered the final ascent in the lead.

The peloton powered through to position their leaders however. López entered the final straight in the lead as Attila Valter led out Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane accelerated and as several riders put their foot down in the brutal ramp, Vingegaard managed to stay upright and accelerate to a very important victory.

Mikel Landa and Enric Mas finished first and second as the riders saw gaps form. Sergio Higuita and Richard Carapaz have lost important time having lost balance in the very tough gradients and slowing riders in the final ramp.

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Profiles & Route Itzulia Basque Country 2023

Prize Money 2023 Itzulia Basque Country - €99.000 in total

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🇪🇸 #Itzulia2023 𝙀𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩, Jonas! 🔥

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