Marianne Vos was too strong for her competitors. After another fall in the final, a small group competed for victory in a sprint clearly dominated by the strong leader of the Visma-Lease a Bike team. At 36, the Dutchwoman won her third career victory on Spanish roads, in addition to her 34 victories in the Tour de France (2) and the Giro (32). Her compatriot Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) took second place ahead of Canadian Olivia Baril (Movistar).
Blanka Vas (SD-Worx) maintains the overall lead with one second ahead of Vos and ten seconds over Canadian Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale). The 22-year-old Hungarian, wearing the red jersey, is one of the rising stars of the women’s peloton after her title of U23 world champion in 2023.
Benito’s beautiful number
At the start of Lucena Del Cid, several riders were missing, such as the Italian Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez), 2nd in the 2022 Giro, the day after an eventful stage. At the front all day, Mireia Benito (AG Insurance Soudal Team) took off, counting a lead of up to 5.30” with 50 km to go. But the step was too high for the Spaniard, alone in the false dishes of Aragon.
On Monday, Jackson won the 2nd stage in a sprint in an incredible finale marked by several falls. Five runners did not start Tuesday morning, including Danish sprinter Emma Norsgaard (Movistar). The British Natalie Grinczer (Roland) was forced to abandon this Tuesday, evacuated in an ambulance after a fall 25 km from the finish.
On Wednesday, the 4th stage will start from Molina de Aragón towards Zaragoza with no difficulties in sight.
