Madrid (AFP)
Estonian rider Rein Taaramäe won solo on Monday the 3rd stage of the Tour of Spain cycling at the top of Picon Blanco, and at the same time seized the red leader's jersey, until then on the shoulders of Primoz Roglic.
Taaramäe (Intermarché - Wanty-Gobert) took the good break with seven other riders at the start of the stage, a group which was up to nine minutes ahead of the peloton and who held on until the last climb to the top of Picon Blanco (1st category).
The experienced Estonian rider (34), already stage winner on the Vuelta in 2011 (14th stage at La Farrapona), caught up with Frenchman Lilian Calmejane (AG2R), who had started to shake up the small group of breakaways at the foot of the final pass, and ended up letting go of his rivals one after the other.
American Joe Dombrowski (UAE Team Emirates), Taaramäe's breakaway companion, took second place.
Frenchman Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) finished third.
The two-time defending champion Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), the main candidate for his own succession, finished with the rest of the favorites, 1 minute and 48 seconds behind the winner of the day.
Only Enric Mas took a few steps ahead at the very end of the stage, managing to snatch three seconds from the other strong men on the line.
Overall, Roglic had to give up his red jersey, and was relegated to 3rd place, thirty seconds behind the Estonian.
The second overall is the French Kenny Elissonde, 25 seconds behind Taaramäe.
On Tuesday, the 4th stage will take the peloton between El Burgo de Osma and Molina de Aragon, a flat stage between Castille-Léon and Castille-La Mancha intended for sprinters.
© 2021 AFP