TNN Presses on at Tour d’Azerbaïdjan

06 May 2016

Race: Tour d’Azerbaïdjan, Stage 3

Start/Finish: Gabala/Gabala

Distance: 177.2 kilometers

Gabala, Azerbaidjan – Stage 3 of the Tour d’Azerbaïdjan kicked off under cloudy skies, with a five-man break forming early on, featuring Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Pro Cycling), Alexey Kurbatov (Gazprom-Rusvelo), Patrik Tybor (Dukla Banska Bystrica), Miles Scotson (Team Illuminate) and Mohd Hariff Saleh (Terengganu Cycling Team).

Saleh dropped back from the group after winning the first intermediate sprint, and not long after, Kurbatov lost contact. The three remaining leaders eventually built a gap of 2:50 before they caught inside the final 10km, setting the stage for a bunch sprint in Gabala.

“The final was difficult,” Team Novo Nordisk Sport Director Massimo Podenzana said, “with a slight uphill rise to the finish. Our guys worked for David Lozano, and brought him into position on the last kilometer. Unfortunately, David was not able to perform as good as he did yesterday. We aim to do well tomorrow on what’s expected to be the hardest stage of the Tour.”

Matej Mugerli (Synergy Baku Cycling Project) sprinted to the win, making for back-to-back victories for the Azerbaijani team, with Lozano finishing best for Team Novo Nordisk at 35th.

Results: