Colombian climber dominates the first uphill stage of the Tour de Pologne.
The long stage 3 of the Tour de Pologne, leading the peloton from Kraśnik to Przemyśl celebrated the BORA – hansgrohe climber, Sergio Higuita winnig ahead of Pello Bilbao and Quinten Hermans).
On the longest stage of the Tour of Poland, which covered 237 km between Kraśnik and Przemyśl, the GC riders came to the fore for the first time in the race. After the first flat 190km, several climbs in quick succession had to be contended with before the race concluded with an uphill finish. From the get go, a small breakaway group was able to distance itself, but the peloton, led interchangeably by BORA – hansgrohe, was sure to pull them back in due time. Several attacks came from the reduced field on the last climb of the day at around 1.5 km before the finish, yet they remained unsuccessful. When Q. Pacher picked up the pace, Sergio Higuita immediately took his wheel before launching a decisive attack with around 200 metres remaining. The Colombian champion wasn’t able to be brought back and thereby secured not only the stage victory but also the GC lead.
From the Finish Line
“What a nice victory, really a great birthday present! The last climb was very hard and super steep. I train on similar climbs in Colombia and ascents like that suit me quite a lot. When I started the climb, I made sure to save a bit of energy for the final 200 metres so I could still have the kick I needed at the end. I waited and waited and then sprinted to the line with 200m to go. After the line, I was completely empty. Thanks to my teammates for their amazing support today, they really protected me well and I’m very grateful for that.” – Sergio Higuita
“It was a mainly flat stage, which concluded with a series of final climbs. We wanted to bring our climbers Sergio and Giovanni into a good position ahead of those ascents. We knew that Sergio could have a good chance on the final steep climb, because he’s been performing well on these types of climbs this year. That’s why we took responsibility for controlling the race. The team showed great commitment to Sergio and our plan, and in the end it paid off. Particular mention goes to Shane Archbold, who pulled for a very long time today. In the finale, Sergio had everything under control and showed himself to be the strongest without doubt. We’re very happy with the team’s performance today.” – Enrico Gasparotto, Sports Director
Stage 3 – KRAŚNIK, POWIAT KRAŚNICKI – PRZEMYŚL
1 – Sergio Higuita (BORA – hansgrohe)
2 – Pello BIlbao (Bahrain – Victorious)
3 Quinten Hermans (Intermarché – Wanty – Gobain)
