Joaquim Rodriguez pips Sergio Henao to win Tour of the Basque Country stage three
Sergio Henao finishes second in Zumarraga as Joaquim Rodriguez takes stage three of the Tour of the Basque Country
Team Sky's Sergio Henao took the overall lead at the Tour of the Basque Country but missed out on his first win since 2013 as he was pipped to the line in Zumarraga by Katusha's Joaquim Rodriguez.
Henao attacked on the day's final climb on the Alto de la Antigua, leaving him with Rodriguez and Nairo Quintana for company on the 3km descent to the finish line.
A miscalculation by Rodriguez on the final corner looked to put him out of contention as the Team Sky rider opened the sprint 150m from the line. But the 35-year-old, who won the stage in the same town in 2011, kept his nerve to take the win.
>>> Sergio Henao returns from broken knee at Settimana Coppi e Bartali
Earlier in the day a four-man breakaway, including 20-year-old Brit Hugh Carthy, gained a healthy lead over the peloton over the day's mountains.
On the first ascent of the Antigua a number of riders were forced to push their bikes up the category two climb as the narrow band of spectators made it impossible for those who stopped to get back on their bikes.
Astana's Lieuwe Westra was the only one of the break to reach the final climb ahead of the peloton but the sharp gradients of the Antigua proved too much for the Dutchman as he was caught by the chasing pack.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Quintana and Rodriguez led the peloton towards the top of the climb but Henao's burst of speed saw him reach the peak first with a three kilometre descent to the finish line.
The trio kept their distance into the final kilometre as Henao hit the front once more. Rodriguez went from third to first with a jump that defied his age, as Quintana never really featured in the sprint.
Tour of the Basque Country stage 3 result
Vitoria-Gasteiz › Zumarraga (170.7k)
1. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 4:39:02
2. Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky
3. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step at 7s
5. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
6. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
7. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
8. Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge at 10s
9. Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha
10. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
Overall standings
1. Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky 13:08:41
2. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
3. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
4. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step at 7s
5. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
6. Rafal Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
7. Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
8. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha at 10s
9. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.