Would all the fast men survive the 1st category climb, with the top at 2,200 meters, in the rugged Argentinian landscape? No, was the clear answer.
Fabio Jakobsen and Sam Bennett capsized, a return to the first heavyweight bunch was out of the question today.
Movistar (Fernando Gaviria) and TotalEnergies (Peter Sagan) did not give the previous stage winners a re-exam and thanks to their tight pace, a leading group with Egan Bernal was also neatly eaten in the more tender second course of this menu.
A sprint with the decimated peloton was drawn up, but due to the antics of the Argentinian management, the ingredients of the last 10 kilometers will never be fully tested.
Anyway: Filippo Ganna set up another trap in the last hectometres. He forced Gaviria into a long sprint, but the eager Colombian didn’t run out of fuel.
Sagan was knocked on his worth. Ganna and Yves Lampaert finished a few lengths, Remco Evenepoel avoided a fall and finished in the belly of the group.
Thursday is a rest day, Friday the queen stage follows.
For Fernando Gaviria (28), his first victory in almost a year is a big boost.
The Colombian broke through completely in Patrick Lefevere’s team, but was tempted by the UAE piggy bank at the end of 2018.
There his career came to a halt due to a slightly too dissolute life and persistent corona infections.
UAE forwarded it, Movistar was the safety net. He immediately pays his new employer with a sprint victory that was not stolen after a lot of work on the road.
