The day was completed between Manta and Quevedo. Lenin Montenegro remains the overall leader of the competition.
Sebastián Novoa won the third stage from Cycling Tour of Ecuador, achieved by sprinting by the Best PC runner in Quevedo, city that received the caravan after a journey of 191 kilometers that began in Manta.
In a frenzied and no less dangerous close, Novoa managed to get around open traffic to prevail at the finish line, with just inches of advantage over Canadian Jean Michel Lachance (VIE13 Factory Team), a squad that repeated prominence in the test, with its rider Henry York on the run.
“The last 10 kilometers there was a lot of walking, but it was possible to work well and take advantage of the moment to launch the sprint and add this stage ”, commented Novoa.
From the beginning of the fraction the attempts of the adventurers looking to take off from the platoon. Forrest howard He was the one who sought to take the initiative and add seconds ahead of the group.
Howard neutralized, his teammate Henry York went for the points in the flying goal at the entrance of Portoviejo, but he could not before Alexis Narváez (Team Pichincha) and Hugo Quinotoa (Gold and scarlet), who stayed with the score.
With Cristian Toro (Movistar) added to the head of the race, the group of four cyclists opened a gap with the peloton, which was separated by three minutes. The group kept the difference and Toro took the points in the mountain prize of kilometer 42, with alternation at the tip so that Narváez remains with the flying goal on the road to El Empalme.
The passage of the caravan aroused the curiosity of passersby who asked about the presence of national WorldTour cyclists, citing Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) or Jonathan Caicedo (EF Education – Nippo).
Although there was dismay for not seeing these figures, Federico Vélez kept the tricolor flag high, and to the shout of Alajuela, Alajuela! he encouraged cyclists at the foot of the bridge in the center of this town.
Then the escapees faced the ascent to the second mountain prize at kilometer 80, finish line and dry braking for cyclists before the neutralization of the test due to the poor condition of the road to Pichincha.
They were 20 kilometers in which the peloton rolled without taking time, to resume the contest although without being free of mishaps due to road damage in the sector.
With the clock running again it was the Team Pichincha the one that assumed leadership, with David Bedón and Steven Haro, joined by York, Carlos Guerra (Montes Bike) and Kevin Pozo (100% Imbabura) to stretch the difference with the lot of favorites to 4 minutes 30 seconds, and at that point with Haro as virtual leader of the race.
York took advantage of the wear of his escape companions and launched an attack that left him alone to win the third flying goal at El Empalme, with a difference of 3 minutes 45 seconds with his followers and 8 minutes over the peloton.
The group of leaders adjusted the pace in the final kilometers to cut the gap and have Novoa at the helm, who stopped the clock on 4 hours 23 minutes 02 seconds, followed by Jean Michel Lachance (Factory) and David Villarreal (Movistar).
The general classification and the sub-23 remains with Lenín Montenegro (Movistar), with Novoa leader of flying goals and Stalin Puentestar (Eagle Bikes) as the best on the mountain.
The Vuelta continues this Saturday with the fourth stage, 102.4 kilometer day that will link Quevedo with Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, the last fraction on flat ground, before the decisive stages in the northern Sierra of the country. (D)
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