After a challenging team time trial for the domestic teams, our diaries feature our three regular audio diarists – Rory Townsend (Canyon dhb SunGod), Colin Sturgess (Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling DS) and Andy Turner (SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling) – and, ahead of tomorrow’s queen stage, we also hear from climbers Tom Gloag (TRINITY Racing) and Max Stedman (Canyon dhb SunGod).
Stage summary
INEOS Grenadiers came up trumps at the stage 3 team time trial in Carmarthenshire, with a commanding ride. The result moves Ethan Hayter – fast fulfilling his road racing promise – into the race lead.
On the 18.2 kilometre course, INEOS were 17 seconds faster than Deceuninck – Quick-Step and 20 ahead of Jumbo-Visma.
It was a tough day out for the domestic teams. Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling’s high hopes were dashed by a mechanical for Si Wilson, as Colin Sturgess explains in his diary entry. They nonetheless finished 8th, the best of the UCI Continental teams, just a 1’09” down. And TRINITY Racing, down to five riders after Rudy Porter’s retirement on yesterday’s stage, put in a strong ride for 9th, just 1’24” back.
The rest of the British teams shipped nearly two minutes or more, however, meaning riders like Alex Peters and Rory Townsend, both of whom had been in the top ten on GC at the start of day, tumbled down the general classification.
Team DSM’s Mark Donovan is now the best under-23 rider in 11th, just over a minute back on GC. And with the mountains to come tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if he can make his climbing prowess count.
Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling’s James Shaw is not that much further behind, 1’15” back, and he must now fancy his chances of breaking into the top ten on GC tomorrow.
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