ROME – Italy’s Fausto Masnada won Wednesday’s third stage of the Tour of the Alps, which saw Team Sky’s Pavel Sivakov hang on to the overall lead despite sniping attempts from Vincenzo Nibali.
Masnada closed out the 106-kilometre fourth stage from Salorno to Baselga di Pine with a final solo breakaway to forge a five-second win over Sivakov’s Sky teammate, Britain’s Teo Geoghegan Hart, who claimed stage one of the tour.
Poland’s Rafal Majka, riding for Bora-Hansgrohe, was third.
Known as the ‘shark’, 2014 Tour de France winner Nibali was a danger to Sivakov on the final climb.
But Chris Froome, out of contention for the lead himself at this point, hit back on behalf of his Sky teammate, helping Sivakov keep in touch with the rampant Italian by responding to two attacks over the closing stages.
As a result, Sivakov has an eight-second lead over Astana’s Czech rider Jan Hart going into Thursday’s 134-kilometre fourth stage from Baselga di Pine to Cles.
Fausto Masnada accelerated and gained immediately 100 meters. He then had enough time to celebrate his victory rising his arms and arriving with 5" on the chasing group. #TotA2019 @AndroniGiocatto pic.twitter.com/9CGzOvY0sE
— Tour of The Alps (@Tourof_TheAlps) April 24, 2019
Third Stage Results
Fausto Masnada (ITA/AND) 2h 58min 08sec, Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR/SKY) at 5sec, Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) s.t, Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) s.t, Dario Cataldo (ITA/AST) s.t
Overall Standings
Pavel Sivakov (RUS/SKY) 11hrs 27min 08sec, Jan Hirt (CZE/AST) 8, Mattia Cattaneo (ITA/AND) 23, Rafal Majka (POL/BOR) 35, Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR/SKY) 37