Rein Taaramäe of the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux won Stage 3 of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana atop Picón Blanco today to take over the leader’s red jersey.
Taaramae stayed off the front from an early break and even distanced himself from stronger climbers in the last minutes of the race to move into the overall lead.
“I have a very smart sports director, Valerio Piva, and yesterday we spoke about trying to win the stage and take the leader’s jersey,” Taaramae said at the finish. “I believed a lot in myself today because I’m in a good shape. It was all about the peloton catching us or not. When I saw that we were gonna do it, I was wondering how good Joe Dombrowski and Kenny Elissonde would be. The others were also really good but I know Joe and Kenny are big quality.
“But I believed in myself, because I already beat them. When I won a stage in the Giro (2016), Joe was 3rd. And now we were fighting against each other again. It’s huge [to lead La Vuelta] because I’m 34 years old and I don’t have many years left. I had won a stage in La Vuelta, in the Giro, but I dreamed about leading a Grand Tour, to enjoy the jersey at least for some days and feel how it is. I was close in the Giro when Dombrowski won stage 4. I’m very very happy that I’ve done it today.
Back in the gruppo, Enric Mas (Movistar) moved up three seconds on his overall rivals while Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), Egan Bernal and Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers), Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) all finished comfortably with the peloton. Hugh Carthy (EF Education-Nippo) conceded 21 seconds while Aleksandr Valsov (Astana-Premier Tech) and Romain Bardet (Team DSM) lost 30 seconds.
Olympic road race champion Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) struggled far more and lost a minute, perhaps ending his overall ambitions. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) suffered the same fate, losing two minutes.
2021 Vuelta a Espana: Stage 3 Brief Result
- Rein Taaramae (Intermarche – Wanty) in 5h 16’57”
- Joe Dombrowski (UAE Team Emirates) at 21″
- Kenny Elissonde (Trek Segafredo) at 36″
- Liliam Calmejane (AG2R Citroen) at 1’16”
- Enric Mas (Movistar) at 1’45”
General Classification After Stage 3:
- Rein Taaramae (Intermarche – Wanty) in 5h 16’57”
- Kenny Elissonde (Trek Segafredo) at 25″
- Primoz Roglic (Jumbo – Visma) at 30″
- Liliam Calmejane (AG2R Citroen) at 35″
- Enric Mas (Movistar) at 45″
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