October 13, 2013 – Flying Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.Fr) has made it two from two, winning the third stage of the 2013 Tour of Beijing. Bouhanni prevailed in a sprint finish on a day where it was expected that a mountain man would take the spoils with seven climbs on the challenging 176km parcours. Australian Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEDGE) was second, just shading Russian Aleksei Tsatevich (Katusha) who finished third.

In an exciting finale to a picturesque stage, on the final climb the Movistar team of world champion Rui Costa attacked, but the attempt was nullified before two-time Tour of Beijing winner Tony Martin (Omega Pharma Quick-Step) tried his luck.  The German opened a 100m lead on the descent, with Costa trailing, but the FDJ.Fr team of Bouhanni closed the gap.

With Martin’s brave challenge over, Omega Pharma-Quick-Step began the lead out heading into the five-hundred metre finishing straight with an eye to setting up Alessandro Petacchi but once again it was Bouhanni burning down the outside, with Elia Vivani (Cannondale), Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEdge) and Aleksei Tstatevich (Katusha) left fighting it out for the minor placings. In the end, it was Matthews ahead of Tstatevich with Viviani missing the podium.

“I was behind Viviani with 250 to go and I went on the left and I didn’t hesitate,” Bouhanni said of the run into the finish. Just as fast as he crossed the finish line, Bouhanni was just as quick to pay tribute to his teammates who spent much of the stage on the front of the peloton, controlling the race. “It was hard but I had a super team to support me and I didn’t want to disappoint them and I went for it,” he said.

The 23-year old started the day with a one second advantage over his rivals in the battle for the red leader’s jersey and following Sunday’s victory, extended that lead by a further 10 seconds. Thor Hushovd (BMC) was forced to abandon the race on Saturday night, flying home to Norway to be with his daughter who is ill in hospital.

Bouhanni, despite his good fortune on today’s stage, does not expect to still be in red on Monday afternoon, although he did say the same thing after yesterday’s stage.

“The fifth stage, yes, I’d like to win but tomorrow will be a bit too hard,” he said.

The road to Qianjiadian
After plenty of attacks, the day’s break was finally established following the stage’s first sprint at the 17km mark, won by Matthews ahead of Matti Breschel (Saxo-Tinkoff), Rui Costa (Movistar) and Willem Wauters (Vacansoleil-DCM). A six-man break consisting of Albert Timmer (Argos-Shimano), Marc Goos (Belkin), Damiano Caruso (Cannondale), Manuele Boaro (Saxo-Tinkoff), Hayden Roulston (RadioShack Leopard) and Wes Sulzberger (Orica GreenEdge) charging ahead with the first KOM of the day on the horizon.

As would be the case on the next six climbs, it was Caruso and Sulzberger going toe-to-toe in the battle for the polka dot jersey, with the Italian succeeding on all but the cat. 1 Si Hai climb where the Australian got his nose in front.

At the start of the fifth climb, the breakaway reached its maximum advantage of 3:53, but the peloton was charging with new world champion Costa at the head of the chase. The pace of the peloton would prove too much for some, with at least nine riders falling off the back of the group while FDJ.Fr and Omega Pharma-Quick-Step set the tempo.

“We both knew that this stage was important for the KOM jersey so we both wanted to be in a breakaway,” Caruso explained with the lead in the classification secured at day’s end. “We struggled and fought and in the end I won.  Tomorrow there’s four categorised climbs so it will be important to be in the breakaway again.”

Panda-monium on the Mountain
There was one other prize up for grabs on Si Hai apart from the KOM points, the prize for the first rider to reach the Panda of the Mountain, 100 metres before the summit bringing a distinctively Chinese flavor to the Dutch Corner theme seen in Europe. Roulston, surrounded by around 60 locals in panda attire, took the prize and will celebrate with his teammates following the conclusion of the Tour of Beijing. By the time the peloton hit the POM, it was Dan Martin (Garmin Sharp) who led the charge with Panda in tow, in scenes reminiscent of his ride to the finish at this year’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege. The breakaway’s time at the front meantime, was gradually being whittled down.

With one kilometre to the summit of the penultimate climb, Cang Mi Gu Dao, the breakaway’s advantage had been reduced to just over a minute, while the winding descent was the catalyst for bringing the escapees back to the bunch.

With one small, cat. 3 climb remaining, and the peloton regrouped, it was ‘ironman’ Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol) who eventually found himself alone off the front of the bunch after a few surges off the front. Wearing his self-proclaimed “lucky shoes” – the ones he won a stage of the Giro d’Italia in earlier this year – the Australian quickly built an advantage over the peloton.

“I didn’t really want to go but we had eight guys before that which was perfect but no one wanted to go so it was a bit strange, I sort of just rode off the front and got a bit of a lead,” he explained. It was an attack that would earn Hansen, whose season began with the Tour Down Under in January, the award for the day’s most aggressive rider. Hopeful that the upcoming climb would grant him a reprieve, Hansen pressed on but would only get out as far as 1:15 before he was reeled in.

“Once GreenEdge and FDJ got in the front it was a bit hard and it’s always hard by yourself downhill so it wasn’t so good,” Hansen explained.

With five kilometres to go, the 32-year-old was caught by the peloton and the sprinters once again had their say.

Stage Four – Yanqing – Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain

On Monday at the Tour of Beijing, stage four concludes with a Tour deciding summit finish on Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain – but the peloton needs to get there first.

Starting in Yanqing, the race again will pass in the shadows of The Great Wall, before the Cat. 1 7.7km Xian Ren Dong climb (5.5%) at the 61.5km mark. There’s a short decent to follow before the nasty Cat. 2 Gao Ya Kou climb, which is short at 3.5km, but steep with a 7.1% average gradient. Of the riders that were here in 2012, they will remember the road leading up to Gao Ya Kou, which they descended off, this time, the only way is up.  Descending into the valleys around the outskirts of Beijing’s 6th Ring Road, there’s a 30km reprieve before the final climb to Mentougou (12.6km, 5.7%).  When the 150.5km stage is complete, an overall winner of the Tour of Beijing should be decided.

Results
1. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ.fr 4:08:15
2. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha
4. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
5. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
6. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
7. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol
8. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
10. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
11. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
12. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
13. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
14. Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida
15. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
16. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
17. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha
18. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
19. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
20. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
21. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack Leopard
22. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
23. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team
24. Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
25. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp
26. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
27. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp
28. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Argos-Shimano
29. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
30. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
31. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
32. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale
33. Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard
34. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr
35. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
36. Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
37. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
38. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
39. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
40. Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Sky Procycling
41. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team
42. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
43. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team
44. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
45. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
46. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack Leopard
47. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
48. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Sky Procycling
49. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
50. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
51. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
52. Bob Jungels (Lux) RadioShack Leopard
53. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
54. Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
55. Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Esp) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
56. Evan Huffman (USA) Astana Pro Team
57. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
58. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
59. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:14
60. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:37
61. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:43
62. Jang Chan Jae (Kor) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
63. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
64. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
65. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol
66. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team
67. Ji Cheng (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano
68. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
69. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr
70. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
71. Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
72. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
73. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
74. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale
75. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
76. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha
77. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
78. Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
79. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
80. Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale Pro Cycling
81. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha
82. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
83. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
84. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano
85. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
86. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
87. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
88. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
89. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
90. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
91. Joshua Edmondson (Gbr) Sky Procycling
92. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
93. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
94. Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
95. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida
96. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
97. Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:54
98. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
99. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Garmin-Sharp 1:14
100. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 2:59
101. Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
102. Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
103. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
104. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team
105. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 3:33
106. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha 5:20
107. Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
108. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ.fr
109. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 7:39
110. Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge
111. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
112. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:12:06
113. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr
114. Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ.fr
115. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
DNF Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
DNF Liu Biao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
DNF Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
DNF Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
DNS Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team

GC after Stage 3

1. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ.fr 13:28:18
2. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:11
3. Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
4. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha 0:16
5. Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
6. Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:18
7. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 0:19
8. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Esp) Movistar Team
9. Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
10. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:20
11. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
12. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
13. Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
14. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
15. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
16. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
17. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha
18. Jan Polanc (Slo) Lampre-Merida
19. Dominik Nerz (Ger) BMC Racing Team
20. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff
21. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
22. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack Leopard
23. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp
24. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
25. Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Por) RadioShack Leopard
26. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
27. David Lopez Garcia (Esp) Sky Procycling
28. Robert Gesink (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
29. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
30. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) AG2R La Mondiale
31. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Belisol
32. Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
33. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
34. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
35. Paul Martens (Ger) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
36. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
37. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
38. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team
39. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
40. Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
41. Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp
42. Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ.fr
43. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack Leopard
44. Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr
45. Ivan Basso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
46. Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
47. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Argos-Shimano
48. Bob Jungels (Lux) RadioShack Leopard
49. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Argos-Shimano
50. Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Sky Procycling
51. Marco Pinotti (Ita) BMC Racing Team
52. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
53. Evan Huffman (USA) Astana Pro Team
54. Carlos Verona Quintanilla (Esp) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
55. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
56. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
57. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
58. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:34
59. Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Argos-Shimano 0:57
60. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre-Merida
61. Michal Golas (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
62. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge 0:59
63. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol 1:00
64. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
65. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 1:01
66. Marc Goos (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 1:02
67. Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp 1:03
68. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale
69. Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
70. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
71. Jang Chan Jae (Kor) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
72. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
73. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
74. Ji Cheng (Chn) Team Argos-Shimano
75. Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Katusha
76. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
77. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
78. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
79. Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
80. Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
81. Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
82. Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team
83. Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
84. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
85. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack Leopard
86. Tiziano Dall’Antonia (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
87. Michel Koch (Ger) Cannondale Pro Cycling
88. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ.fr
89. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha
90. Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
91. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
92. Joshua Edmondson (Gbr) Sky Procycling
93. Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Argos-Shimano
94. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida
95. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
96. Ruslan Tleubayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 1:14
97. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
98. Nick Nuyens (Bel) Garmin-Sharp 1:34
99. Willem Wauters (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 3:12
100. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team 3:19
101. Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
102. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
103. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
104. Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 3:42
105. Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 3:53
106. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ.fr 5:40
107. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha
108. Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
109. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 7:57
110. Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team 7:59
111. Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica-GreenEdge 8:42
112. Arnaud Courteille (Fra) FDJ.fr 0:12:26
113. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr
114. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ.fr
115. Jay McCarthy (Aus) Team Saxo-Tinkoff 0:14:07