Costa Blanca Bike Race stage 3, the queen stage. The stats of 78km’s and 2776 meters of ascent don’t tell the story. Forget easy fireroad alpine miles, this was as rough as you’ve ever seen. I’ve seen downhill World Cups on easier trails. I never thought I’d ride more technical trails that Beskidy Trophy until today. This was action packed uphill and downhill with nowhere to rest.
After stage 2 Jan Karnitzl and Maous Ulman, plus Yana Belomoina and Margot Moschetti started in the blue leaders jerseys both with slim leads over their rivals. Stage 3’s marathon would split the field apart.
Ya tenemos listo el vídeo resumen de la etapa de hoy, todo vuestro! #Polop #CBBR2016
Posted by Costa Blanca Bike Race on Saturday, 30 January 2016
Tom and I made our best start so far; both of us had great legs on the opening climb and positioned ourselves well inside the top 10 with all the big name riders. By the top of the second mountain we were still top 10 with the Trek duo of Kohei Yamamoto and Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez but then the wheels started to come off. The following descent was pretty insane! I’d seen the hairpin bends when studying the maps last night but the rocks were like weaving your way down a several kilometre set of stairs! I don’t know how Tom made it down in one piece. I opened up the Turner Czar in downhill mode, the bike was taking it all in its stride, and I was hanging on for dear life! By the bottom I could feel the fatigue and just wanted a smooth bit of tarmac or fireroad. No chance! It was a left turn straight into a 15% gradient offroad rocky loose climb which ascended 700 metres. By the top I was a dribbling mess whilst lightweight Tom was smoothly turning the pedals patiently waiting for me. We lost a couple of places on this climb. From the 50km mark it was all downhill for 20km, it seemed to take an age and when we passed a reservoir I’d seen on the map I knew we still had a good half an hour to go. Eventually we dropped down towards the finish town of Polop but the organisers had one last trick up their sleeves. A technical 25% gradient ascent into town, lined with spectators we were determined enough to clean the climb but I was sure the last hop up a step was going to see my legs cramp. They didn’t and we made it to the finish, completely spent.
On the podium were Jan Karnitzl and Maous Ulman retaining their leaders jersey but unable to put any time into Tiago Ferreira and David Rosa who finished second. Third was Rudi Van Houts and Hans Becking. The women’s podium was a repeat of stage 1 and 2 with Yana Belomoina and Margot Moschetti taking the top step and retaining their leader’s jersey. Today they put 30 minutes into second place which was Nathalie Schneitter and Viviane Favery. Third place was Kristien Achten and Alice Pirard.
All that’s left between the riders and the finish of Costa Blanca Bike Race 2016 is stage 4, a short 7km timetrial. Somehow it still manages to find 525 metres of ascent, mainly in the last couple of kilometres! I can feel the pain already.