Strong Team Jumbo-Visma competitive in queen stage Coppi e Bartali
Team Jumbo-Visma has left a strong impression in the third stage of the Coppi e Bartali. During the queen stage, which started and finished in San Marino, Koen Bouwman, Johannes Staune-Mittet and Gijs Leemreize were able to keep up with the best climbers.
On the first climb of the day, eleven riders managed to break away from the peloton. The group got a five-minute margin but saw their lead diminish rapidly when the peloton started accelerating on the penultimate climb in San Marino. The last remaining riders were caught before the final pass, and an elite group of about 25 riders battled for the day's victory.
The British rider Ben Tulett won the stage. Bouwman finished thirteenth, Staune-Mittet and Leemreize finished nineteenth and twenty-second. "It was again a grueling scratch race with many altimetres", sports director Sierk Jan de Haan said.
"Our plan was to not waste any energy and stay in a good position in the peloton for as long as possible. It was the right tactic, as Koen, Johannes and Gijs all went up with the best 25 riders. Considering the huge field of riders, that’s a great achievement."