MADRID, 20 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish cyclist Pello Bilbao, from the Bahrain Victorious team, won this Friday in the third stage of the Tour Down Under, a UCI World Tour category event, while the Australian Jay Vine (UAE Emirates) became the new leader of the general ranking.
The 32-year-old Basque knew how to read the attack that Vine made on the tough climb to Corkscrew, with ramps of up to 13 percent, and escaped along with the Australian and the British Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula), dropping the leader Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma).
The UAE runner was ambitious in seeking to snatch the garment from his compatriot and found the collaboration of his two escape companions, which allowed them to play the victory between them. There, Bilbao was the fastest and beat Yates in the final sprint, while Vine, third, found the prize for the lead.
Bilbao, for its part, achieved its fifteenth victory as a professional to place second in the general classification, 15 seconds behind Vine before facing the fourth stage of the Australian test, which will run over 135 kilometers around Willunga.
“I had some difficulties catching up with Yates and Vine. I had to do my best and join them for the last 300m of the climb. I knew I was going to have a good chance as they were also looking for the overall, and I I was more focused on doing my best sprint and trying to win”, the Spaniard celebrated after his victory.