MADRID, 17 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Belgian cyclist Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates) won this Friday the third stage of the 69th Tour of Andalusia, held over 160.4 kilometers between Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville) and Alcalá de los Gazules (Cádiz), while the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) remains in front of the overall.
On the day with less unevenness in the Andalusian round and with two third-category climbs, Wellens managed to get away from his rivals on the final wall, in Alto de Alcalá de los Gazules, to reach the finish line with a time of 3:47: 12, beating Frenchman Pierre-Roger Latour (TotalEnergies) by 14 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Italian Samuele Battistella (Astana Qazaqstan) completed the podium of the day, prevailing in the trio that crossed the final line 15 seconds behind the winner of the stage. For his part, Goka Izagirre (Movistar) was the first of the Spaniards this Friday.
The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), winner of the first two stages, retained his leadership of the provisional classification without problems, in which he leads the Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) by 48 seconds and the Spaniards Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) by 52 seconds. Bahrain Victorious) and Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers).
This Saturday, the riders will face the fourth and penultimate stage, of 164.2 kilometers with four mountain passes -three of the third category and one of the second- between the town of Olvera in Cádiz and the Cordovan municipality of Iznájar.