Dylan Groenewegen again showed his superior power and speed on stage 3 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana to take his second stage win the race.
The Dutchman had to come back from a late crash and resulting gear problems but again beat Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep), with Matej Mohoric (Bahrain McLaren) taking third.
Groenewegen had already won the opening stage of the race into Vila-Real but his second victory saw him solidify his position at the top of the standing in the points competition. He now leads Jakobsen 50 points to 40 with two stages remaining.
"The team did a fantastic job. Because of the good communication and the fast reaction of the team after my crash, I could return in the front of the peloton quickly,” Groenewegen, said after his win.
After the crash Groenewegen and his Jumbo-Visma teammates were forced to chase back to the main field. They were helped by the fact that the main field slowed but the Dutch squad still had to bring their sprinter to the front of the peloton ahead of a technical section that included several tight turns. As the sprint unfolded other teams attempted to take control but a disjointed and messy final ensued before Groenwegen’s pure power saw him hold off a fast-finishing Jakobsen.
“They brought me in an ideal position for the sprint. I perfectly timed it, after which I could finish it off for my teammates. Because of the crash, I had some gear shifting problems that prevented me from sprinting on my biggest gears. I am very grateful to the team, because without these guys I would not have won here," he said.
Groenewegen is now looking forward to the final sprint opportunity at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in the hope of taking a third sprint victory.
"My shape is good, I have had a good winter and I am already looking forward to the final day. Then we will have another chance. For now, it is a hundred percent score. Two sprints, two wins: that gives a lot of confidence,” he said.
The race continues on Saturday with the key mountain stage to Altea. Cyclingnews will have live coverage from the stage.
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