Ethiopian youngster Welay Hagos Berhe came agonisingly close to his first professional win on stage three of the Tour of Austria, just being beaten to victory on a day on which Team Jayco AlUla lit the race up.
Local rider Lukas Pöstlberger was the first of the team to make a move as he went to the top of the hors categories Hochtor climb with one other rider for company, before being dropped and then chasing back on to form a two-rider break that was caught with 16km to go.
The race was on as the peloton then battled for position going into the uphill finale, and inside the final kilometre Hagos made his move. The Ethiopian, whose early part of his debut season was disrupted by injury, showed his strength with an explosive dig which only eventual stage winner Jhonatan Narvaez could follow.
Narvaez held Hagos’ challenge off as the 21-year-old clung to the wheel all the way to the finish line, but eventually had to settle for second place after a huge effort.
Recent Tour of Slovenia stage winner Jesús David Peña made it a second Team Jayco AlUla rider inside the top three, as the Colombian also moved up to second place on the general classification and assumed the lead of the youth classification as well.
German Felix Engelhardt made it a day to remember for the team’s young talent as the neo-pro came across the line in eighth place, making it three Team Jayco AlUla riders – all aged 23 or under – inside the top 10.
Jesús David Peña:
“Today was a really, really hard day with a long climb in the middle, but I had good legs and I think the whole team was very good today. We had all of us in the bunch and Posti in the breakaway.
“Today was a really, really hard day with a long climb in the middle, but I had good legs and I think the whole team was very good today. We had all of us in the bunch and Posti in the breakaway.
We did a very good job in the finish and think we were the strongest team, and we took second and third. I think we can do our best on the next stages for the GC.”
Tour of Austria – Stage 3 Result:
1. Jhonatan Narvaez 3:54:26
2. Welay Hagos Berhe (Team Jayco AlUla) S/T
3. Jesús David Peña (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:03
1. Jhonatan Narvaez 3:54:26
2. Welay Hagos Berhe (Team Jayco AlUla) S/T
3. Jesús David Peña (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:03
Tour of Austria – General Classification Stage 3:
1. Jhonatan Narvaez 10:45:47
2. Jesús David Peña (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:28
3. George Bennett +0:32
1. Jhonatan Narvaez 10:45:47
2. Jesús David Peña (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:28
3. George Bennett +0:32
