Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), back on the World Tour after his fall on the Vuelta, won the third stage of the Tour of Sicily on Thursday, taking the overall lead on the eve of the final finish.
The 41-year-old Spaniard beat Alessandro Covi (UAE Emirates) and Jhonatan Restrepo (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), and won his third success of the season.
Victim of a heavy fall in the Tour of Spain which had caused him a broken collarbone at the end of August, Valverde proved for his return to competition that he was in good shape, even if he fell again shortly after. crossing the finish line, apparently without immediate consequences.
After two stages won in the sprint by Molano, this 180 km stage between Termini Imerese and Caronia, steeper than the previous ones, was promised to the climbers.
Molano was dropped in the ascent of La Pollina (11.4 km at 5.7% with passages at 10%), saying goodbye to his leader’s jersey, while the group of breakaways, who left shortly after the start, was caught by the peloton.
Movistar then took control in the descent and then on the seaside, Trek Segafredo, the team of Vincenzo Nibali, sparing its forces in view of the final climb.
It was in the latter, started 3.5 km from the finish, that everything was decided. Valverde took the lead in the early switchbacks, with Romain Bardet, Brandon McNulty and Nibali in ambush. McNulty, winner of the 2019 Tour of Sicily, placed the first attack just over 1km away, but to little effect. And it was Valverde who in the last few hundred meters finally left to win in front of his pursuers.
The last stage will take the riders on Friday between Sant’Agata di Militello and Mascali (180 km), at the foot of Mount Etna, with a drop of 2500 m on the program.
