Pais Vasco: McCarthy sprints to stage 3 win; Alaphilippe leads

Sprinting out of a group of fast finishers, Jay McCarthy won stage 3 of Vuelta al Pais Vasco Wednesday in Valdegovía, Spain.

The Australian got the better of Alexandr Riabushenko (UAE Team Emirates) who was second. Sky’s Michal Kwiatkowski was third in the gallop after 184.8 kilometers of hilly racing.

“I knew if it came to a sprint it would be up to me to have a go,” McCarthy said. “The guys did a good job all day. First victory here, second win this year. I’m happy to get my second win for the season.”

Race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) came home sixth just ahead of another fast Aussie, Michael Matthews (Sunweb). The Frenchman, winner of stages 1 and 2 so far this week, kept his yellow jersey ahead of Thursday’s flat 19.4km individual time trial.

Alaphilippe is emerging as a GC threat in this six-stage race around the Basque Country. He’s won a stage race GC before, in the 2016 Amgen Tour of California.

Top 10, stage 3

• 1. Jay Mccarthy, BORA – HANSGROHE, in 4:49:39
• 2. Aleksandr Riabushenko, UAE TEAM EMIRATES, s.t.
• 3. Michal Kwiatkowski, TEAM SKY, s.t.
• 4. Michael Albasini, MITCHELTON – SCOTT, s.t.
• 5. Enrique Sanz Unzue, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY – MURIAS, s.t.
• 6. Julian Alaphilippe, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, s.t.
• 7. Michael Matthews, TEAM SUNWEB, s.t.
• 8. Jesus Ezquerra Muela, BURGOS – BH, s.t.
• 9. Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia, ASTANA PRO TEAM, s.t.
• 10. Enrico Battaglin, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, s.t.

Top-10 overall

• 1. Julian Alaphilippe, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, in 13:18:52
• 2. Primož RogliČ, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :08
• 3. Gorka Izaguirre Insausti, BAHRAIN – MERIDA, at :39
• 4. Mikel Landa Meana, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :43
• 5. Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia, ASTANA PRO TEAM, at :54
• 6. Rudy Molard, GROUPAMA – FDJ, at :58
• 7. Emanuel Buchmann, BORA – HANSGROHE, s.t.
• 8. Romain Bardet, AG2R LA MONDIALE, s.t.
• 9. Enric Mas Nicolau, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, s.t.
• 10. Patrick Konrad, BORA – HANSGROHE, s.t.