Volta ao Algarve

Boasson Hagen won today and there's an uphill finish tomorrow, so that gives Wiggins and the other GC contenders a chance to stretch their legs. With a TT at the end he has a chance of winning this if he's on good form.

here's the vid - bit long and boring just to see a short sprint, but there you go....


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XfJ65fMqAJY#at=1599

The end wasn't especially exciting yesterday but today should be more interesting!

And wasn't it! I guess people were thinking about Wiggins and Froome and had forgotten about Porte, who seems to have the early season climbing form. With Froome, Wiggins and Lövkvist riding in support of Porte, It gives us some indication of what a seriously good climbing team Sky now has - any one of those guys can win in the mountains and all seem to lack the egotism that would make them uncooperative, so the flexibility they have makes the team look very strong for the GTs.

Indeed. Apparently it was Wiggins who blew the peloton apart at the bottom of the last climb and dropped Porte off to go it alone. Agree FM, it bodes bloody well.....

It does look good, come on Paris-Nice and the ICTT at the end.

Tony Martin looking ominous though. Only 50" back and the ITT to come. 25.8km.

Stage 3 results: Richie Porte (Sky) easily wins the mountaintop finish after Team Sky sends riders out the back

Stage 3 results
1 Richie Porte (Sky) Palmarés completo
2 Tiago Machado (RadioShack-Nissan) + 0:08
3 Rui Costa (Movistar Team)
4 Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) + 0:23
5 Wout Poels (Vacansoleil) + 0:24
6 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol)
7 Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Barracuda) + 0:30
8 José Mendes (LA-Antarte) + 0:34
9 Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) + 0:40
10 Bradley Wiggins (Sky) + 0:41

Couldn't watch it live, but saw some highlights and Wiggins is looking good. Sky looking strong for mountain stages. When they sort out the lead-out train for Cav they'll be sorted. It all depends on the TT now. Could be close between Porte and Martin, with Wiggins also having a chance.

This is going to be one great season

G we know all about. EBH showed what a tough cookie he is in the hills in the Dauphiné last year. Uran and Froome likewise in the Vuelta. Now Porte is showing what he adds to the team...

Crikey. Exciting times.

d.

please post up if you find a vid of todays finish.

I'm watching it recorded, Andy, if you want to pop down

Just spotted on cycling news that Steve Cummings fractured his pelvis on stage 3 and will be off his bike for 2 weeks and out of competition for 4 weeks.

here we go - a bit late - must be half way through today's stage by now...


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at5QzXB35ck

Cummings not going - yup, still milking the Diary of a Nobody gag!

Poor old Steve - 2 weeks off doesn't sound long enough!

As you were today. Which means it is all down to the ITT. Okay, Martin is the best in the world against the clock right now, but Porte shouldn't be underestimated as a tester. He might well hold on over the relatively short 28.5km.

Porte should be OK, with Brad and Martin on the podium.

I reckon Porte could take it as Martin might not be fully up to speed yet and is a further 10" behind on yesterday. Boasson Hagen equal top on points. Tiernan-Locke 3rd on first day of Tour du Haut Var.

thanks Alan - haven't been able to find any results for that.
Apart from a few brits like us who noticed him in the ToB, two weeks ago nobody knew who this guy was, now Velochrono has him tagged onto the list of favourites for the Haut Var!

"On retrouvera donc sur la ligne de départ, outre Philippe Gilbert, l’attraction du week-end, Simon Gerrans, Thomas Voeckler, Pierre Rolland, Govanni Visconti, Dan Martin, Pierrick Fédrigo, Thor Hushovd, David Moncoutié, Jonathan Tiernan Locke…"

TM was definitely labouring up the slope yesterday

Hi,

yes I thought he was very impressive in ToB. I've created a separate thread for the Tour du Haut Var and I might catch the end of it after a ride. Very sunny here in Cambridge today. The link to Internet coverage is in the other thread.