Algarve, stage 3: Thomas wins TT, extends GC lead

Geraint Thomas won Team Sky’s second stage in as many days at Volta ao Algarve, clocking the fastest time in Friday’s time trial around Lagoa, Portugal.

Lotto-Soudal’s Victor Campenaerts was second, 11 seconds slower. BMC Racing’s Stefan Kung was third, 19 seconds adrift on the 20.3km test.

Thomas started the day with the overall lead. It was a tenuous advantage, as Jaime Roson (Movistar) sat second on GC with the same overall time.

However, Roson lost considerable ground in the short time trial, ending the day seventh overall, 1:18 behind. Thomas’s teammate and stage 2 winner Michal Kwiatkowski moved up to second overall, 22 seconds down. Movistar’s Nelson Olivera is now third place on GC, 32 seconds behind.

“Thomas also gained time in the second part and had 22 seconds advantage with six kilometers remaining,” said Campenaerts. “Then I knew he would be close because the last kilometers were mostly downhill.”

Although Thomas ceded 11 seconds on that final downhill, he held on to a healthy margin to win the day.

Saturday’s stage 4 should offer one final chance for the sprinters. It will be long at 199.2km, but the route from Almodôvar to Tavira is mostly flat.

Top-10, stage 3

• 1. Geraint Thomas, TEAM SKY, in 0:24:09
• 2. Victor Campenaerts, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :11
• 3. Stefan KÜng, BMC RACING TEAM, at :19
• 4. Michal Kwiatkowski, TEAM SKY, at :22
• 5. Nelson Oliveira, MOVISTAR TEAM, s.t.
• 6. Tony Martin, TEAM KATUSHA ALPECIN, at :27
• 7. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC RACING TEAM, at :47
• 8. Bob Jungels, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at :49
• 9. Vasil Kiryienka, TEAM SKY, at :50
• 10. Lukasz Wisniowski, TEAM SKY, at :51

Top-10 overall

• 1. Geraint Thomas, TEAM SKY, in 10:01:58
• 2. Michal Kwiatkowski, TEAM SKY, at 0:22
• 3. Nelson Oliveira, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 0:32
• 4. Bob Jungels, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at 0:52
• 5. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC RACING TEAM, at 0:53
• 6. Bauke Mollema, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:01
• 7. Jaime Roson Garcia, MOVISTAR TEAM, at 1:18
• 8. Maximilian Schachmann, QUICK – STEP FLOORS, at 1:19
• 9. Felix Grossschartner, BORA – HANSGROHE, at 1:20
• 10. Vasil Kiryienka, TEAM SKY, at 1:24