Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) sprinted to an exciting victory on the third stage of the Tour de Pologne into Cieszyn.
Czech rider victorious on stage three of Tour de Pologne
Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) sprinted to an exciting victory on the third stage of the Tour de Pologne into Cieszyn.
The Czech rider proved to be the fastest finisher in the peloton, which caught late attackers Sergio Henao (Team Sky) and Marek Rutkiewicz (Polish National Team) just metres from the line.
Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) took second on the stage ahead of Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox), with Michal Kwiatkowski making it two Omega Pharma-QuickStep riders in the top four.
Liquigas-Cannondale rider Moreno Moser came across the line in fifth place to maintain his position as overall leader of the race.
A three-man breakaway formed early in the 201.7 kilometre stage, with Gabriele Bosisio (Utensilnord-Named), Fumiyuki Beppu (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Mateusz Taciak (Polish National Team) going up the road.
Advantage
The trio at one point had a huge advantage of 17 minutes on the main bunch but were still reeled in well before the end of the stage.
As the riders closed in on the finishing circuit, a counter-attack consisting of Rutkiewicz, Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Jussi Veikkanen (FDJ-BigMat) attacked out of the main group.
A handful of riders tried to bridge across but were quickly swallowed up by the fast-moving peloton, but when Henao jumped out of the main group on the final, short climb he was able to make the move stick.
Up ahead Rutkiewicz had dropped his fellow escapees and was able to latch onto the Colombian's wheel as he came past, with the two flying along the flat roads and up the cobbled incline to the finish.
At one point it looked as though they would hold the peloton off, but the sprinters from the bunch came past them just in time, with former cyclocross star Stybar negotiating the final turn in front and holding on to win.
