Late spring addition to Russian team begins to pay off
Team Katusha won the stage 3 team time trial of the Vuelta a Burgos, between Sasamon and Melgar e Fernamental. The Russian registered team, which included Vladimir Karpets and Filippo Pozzato, flew around the flat 21.3km course in 21’42”, 7 seconds faster than Liquigas-Doimo and 11 seconds faster than Rabobank.
Starting at 4-minute intervals by virtue of each team’s position in the teams classification, the first time of any note was laid down by Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, the fourth team to start. The Belgian team completed the course in 22’16”, but were to sit at the top of the leader board for less than eight minutes as compatriots Quick Step went 12 seconds faster, in 22’04”.
Less than 20 minutes after Quick Step had finished, Rabobank lowered the time further still with 21’53”. Once again, the Rabobank time was not to last for long, as Katsusha lowered it further to 21’42”, which was to be the winning time. The next team on the course was Liquigas-Doimo, which pushed Katusha close, but could only managed to finish 7 seconds slower in second place.
The final two teams to start, Xacobea-Galicia and Caisse d’Epargne could not match the Russian team either and finished in fourth and fifth place respectively.
The Euskaltel-Euskadi team of race leader Samuel Sanchez finished in seventh place, 28 seconds behind Katusha. Katusha’s Giampaolo Caruso, who started the day just 6 seconds behind Sanchez, takes the race leader’s purple jersey.
Result stage 3
1. Team Katusha (Rus) 21’42”
2. Liquigas-Doimo (Ita) @ 7s
3. Rabobank (Ned) @ 11s
4. Xacobeo-Galicia (Spa) @ 12s
5. Caisse d’Epargne (Spa) @ 15s
6. Quick Step (Bel) @ 22s
7. Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa) @ 28s
8. Team Sky (GBr) @ 32s
9. Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator (Bel) @ 34s
10. Acqua & Sapone-D’Angelo & Antenucci (Ita) @ 37s
Standings after stage 3
1. Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne @ 9s
3. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas-Doimo @ 10s
4. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha @ 14s
5. David Lopez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne @ 15s
[12:48:09 PM] Ben Atkins: sadly not much else to say about a TTT