Johnny Hoogerland gets second and the race lead
Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) won the third stage of the Etoile de Besseges between Saint-Victor-la-Coste and Laudun, outsprinting a small breakaway group. Vacansoleil-DCM duo Johnny Hoogerland and Marco Marcato finished second and third respectively at the end of the 148.5km stage.
“The [finishing] circuit included a difficult climb and our team worked really hard,” said Vacansoleil-DCM director Michel Cornelisse. “When [Björn] Leukemans was forced out due to a technical fault Hoogerland and Marcato had to work harder at the front. Although we missed out on a stage win we nearly grabbed the lead. We now have to think of a way that Hoogerland can win over the competition of Ravard.”
There were any number of attacks from groups of various sizes, with Hoogerland and FDJ riders Pierrrick Fédrigo and Jérémy Roy, the winner of the GP Marseillaise particularly active. These were all pulled back though until Roman McLaughlin (AN Post-Sean Kelly) managed to get away after 92km; he managed to pull out a gap of 3 minutes but was caught at the top of the Côte de Carsan with 38km remaining, whereupon a large group got away.
The group was made up of: Steven Tronet (Roubaix-Lille Métropole), Pierrick Fédrigo, Jérémy Roy and Arthur Vichot (FDJ), Yuriy Trofimov and Vladimir Gusev (Katusha), Johnny Hoogerland, Björn Leukemans and Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil-DCM), Johan Le Bon (Bretagne-Schuller), Anthony Ravard and Maxime Bouet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post-Sean Kelly Team), Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun), Mathieu Drujon (BigMat-Auber 93), Rein Taaramae and Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis).
With the speed high in both the front group and the peloton it was unable to get more than 20 seconds clear; its chances were further reduced by a problem for Leukemans, but somehow it managed to hang on to its slender advantage.
Dumoulin proved the strongest on the uphill sprint, beating Hoogerland and Marcato; Hoogerland was initially disqualified for irregular sprinting, but was reinstated on appeal.
Race leader Ravard could only manage seventh, so the 10 seconds of time bonuses picked up by Hoogerland – 4 seconds for two second places in the intermediate sprints and six seconds on the line – the Dutchman overhauled his 9 second deficit to the Frenchman to take the lead by a single second.
Result stage 3
1. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis
2. Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
3. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM
4. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Europcar
5. Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix-Lille Metropole
6. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) FDJ
7. Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
8. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
9. Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Saur-Sojasun
10. Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ
Standings after stage 3
1. Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
2. Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale @ 1s
3. Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM @ 8s
4. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) FDJ @ 10s
5. Cyril Gautier (Fra) Europcar @ 13s