Kristoff 7th in Moulins, Aru abandons

After the first two stages of Paris-Nice, marked by cross-winds and reduced bunch sprints, Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) sprinted to seventh in the third stage, to Moulins.

The wind threatened to blow open the race again, but later, unlike the other days a bunch sprint settled the day. With four kilometres to race, Michal Kwiatkowski tried to rip the race apart, and UAE Team Emirates was ready and responded with Marco Marcato and Sven Erik Bystrøm. They kept Kristoff (photo Bettini) in position at the front. But Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) won ahead of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step).

Kristoff: “The final was complicated, the group was broken up in many small groups and Marcato and Bystrøm were great at taking me to the front.
At that point, the conditions were perfect to get a good result with a few sprinters, just Ewan, Démare and myself. But in the last kilometre, other cyclists came back and I had already used the energy needed to stay at the front. I couldn’t do better than seventh.
I’m sorry to have lost that chance, I was going well and all was in place for a good result“.

A little after the feed-zone, Fabio Aru’s Paris-Nice ended. Sports Director Neil Stephens explained, “Already ahead of the start of the stage, Fabio told the team’s medical staff that he felt queasy. The team doctor, Dr Jeroen Swart, helped him hold off a lot of those symptoms and Aru took the start of the stage, but nausea came back in the race and forced him to stop just after 90km into the stage“.

Stage 3 results
1 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-hansgrohe 5h16’25”
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal s.t.
3 Fabio Jakobsen (Bel) Deceuninck-Quick Step s.t.
7 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates. s.t.

General classification after stage 3
1 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 11h47’44”
2 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 6″
3 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana 11″