Stage 3 - Vuelta Kolbi a Costa Rica - Guapiles - San Carlos

From Guapiles to San Carlos, stage 3 of the Vuelta was the first real test for all GC contenders. Figuring two category 2 climbs near the finish, changes in GC was going to happen. Cut to 122km from initial 141km due to construction, Julien Gagné of team for the Planet impressed in the top 20 !

Race description:
122km - medium mountain  - (1640m)

Race map:
Guapiles - San Carlos



How it unfold:
With a tough finish in perspective, many riders tried to get into a breakaway before the climb started. Anton Varabei of team for the Planet managed to get with a group who gain a couple minutes before the climb. On the team, Gavriel Epstein and Jean-Michel Lachance had a tough day. Jean-Michel: "I got tourista "diarhea" the night and morning before the race and so I was completely empty. I felt decent the first part of the race, stayed in contact for the first mountain pass but then I ran out of energy and lost almost a minute every kilometer for the last 20km !"

Julien Gagné climbed very well finishing only 3min35 from "El Rey" Juan Carlos Rojas. Watch for him in the next years. Only 19years old of age and already following the best !


Results: full results - video report

Stage 3, 122.76 km - avg speed 44km/h,
1- Juan Rojas, JPS Giant, 2h 45m 09
2- Elias Vega, JPS Giant, à 1m 29
3- Bryan Villalobos, Agricenter, + 1m 41
16- Julien Gagné, 1% for the Planet, + 3m 35
54- Ryan Roth, 1% for the Planet + 10m 05
57- Anton Varabei, 1% for the Planet +13m 30
65- Jean-Michel Lachance, 1% for the Planet, + 18m 08
68- Gavriel Epstein, 1% for the PLanet + 18m 36
77- Étienne Samson, 1% for the Planet, + 24m 29

General classification
1- Jose Vega, JPS Giant, 9h 59m 46
2- Romel Morales, BCR Pizza Hut, + 7 sec
3- Jose Irias, Frules Los Tierniticos, + 1m 12
20- Julien Gagné, 1% for the Planet, + 5m 52
46- Ryan Roth, 1% for the Planet + 12m 22
62- Jean-Michel Lachance, 1% for the Planet, + 17m 53
65- Gavriel Epstein, 1% for the Planet + 20m 53
76- Étienne Samson, 1% for the Planet, + 45m 18

Regularidad
1 - Evgeny Kovalev - Rusvelo - 35pts
2 - Jean-Michel Lachance - For the Planet - 28pts
3 - Anton Varabei - For the Planet - 27 pts


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Photo credit: Coopena Movistar cycling team (photo 1) - Federacion Costaricense de Ciclismo - fecoci.net (photo2)
Altimeteria and map: Garmin