Alejandro Valverde finished the 38th of the third stage of the Tour of Burgos which started and finished in the city of Burgos after 175 kilometers.
The stage was almost all flat and it finished in the sprint with Nikolas Maes’ victory (Top Sport Vlaanderen). Ben Hermans is the new leader of the race after a crashed in the final two kilometers broke the bunch in various parts.
Alejandro is now the third overall, four seconds behind Hermans.
“For having the leader of the race in our team it was our job to control the various breakaways, what we did very well. We gave nobody the opportunity to make big gaps. The stage was very windy and rather nervous and without the crash which occurred in the final two kilometers logically everything should have finished with a massive sprint.
It is difficult to understand the commissaires’ decision because considering the circumstances it was logical to give the entire bunch the same time. Because of such a decision we lost the leader jersey.
Tomorrow will be an important stage considering the fact that it is the individual time trial which expects us. It is only 15 kilometers long, not really long but anyway we will try to have the leader jersey back in the team.
I feel very well and I will be very concentrated even if I know that the stage of Sunday, which finished at the top of the Lagunas de Neila after climbing five difficult climbs, will be the decisive one.”
