Vuelta a España 2023

Stage 3 – Súria > Arinsal. Andorra (158.5km)

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Stage 2 Result

1st Andreas Kron (50/1)

2nd Kaden Groves (50/1)

3rd Andrea Vendrame (22/1)

Stage 2 Bets

Romain Grégoire 1pt each way (3 places) @14/1 – 7th

Hugo Page 0.5pts each way (3 places) @50/1

Grégoire very nearly bridged to Kron over the top of Montjuic, but ultimately came home in seventh. Page rode in with the GC favourites who sat up for the neutralised final.

Stage 3 Preview

There’s no messing about in this year’s Vuelta with the first mountain stage just three days in on familiar roads for many riders in Andorra. The Coll d’Ordino is the first of two first-category climbs with a measured section of 17.3km at 4.9% – enough to see the field get whittled down.

The second, more demanding climb – 8.3km at 7.7% but with several double-figure sections – is up to the summit finish in Arinsal and ought to see our first shake-up in the general classification battle.

Stage 3 Contenders

Primož Roglič (7/2) won the overall at the Vuelta a Burgos last week and looked very good. He was never really threatened and was able to use his uphill sprint to bag two stage wins in the way we’ve seen countless times. He fell on stage 2 and suffered abrasions but apparently is none the worse for wear. If Jumbo-Visma want to chase the break down – which isn’t guaranteed – Roglič has a great chance here to stamp his authority on the race.

Jonas Vingegaard (5/1) was a somewhat surprising addition to the startlist and hasn’t raced since winning the Tour de France in Paris a month ago. Therefore, his form is unclear and so too whether a GC challenge is realistic or if he’ll ride in the services of Roglič. He’s likely to get better as the race goes on, so staying near the top of the standings will be his goal early on to give Jumbo-Visma two cards to play in the final week.  

Remco Evenepoel (9/1) faces a stiff task to defend his Vuelta title given the strength of Jumbo-Visma. He’s off the back of winning the world time trial championship and a third victory in Donastia San Sebastian Klasikoa where he showed Pello Bilbao a clean pair of heels in a two-up sprint. He could push Roglič close if it comes to a GC uphill sprint for the win.

Juan Ayuso (16/1) will have high hopes of repeating his podium finish from last year’s Vuelta as he seeks to prove his potential as one of the best stage racers around. He’s been hot and cold at times this season – understandable for a 20-year-old – but is not without a chance here if on one of his good days.

Enric Mas (40/1) crashed out on stage 1 of the Tour de France and hasn’t raced since. On the upside, he’s had time to prepare for his home race where he has an excellent record, finishing up on the podium three times. Morale will be high in the team after an excellent time trial performance and a repeat of his form at the backend of 2022 would give him a chance here.

Aleksandr Vlasov (66/1) was second to Roglič in Burgos after a third in the San Sebastian Classic. He’s shown in the past that given a clean run in a Grand Tour, he’s a serious podium contender. Others are likely to be faster on the line which accounts for the rather big price.

A breakaway win is also very possible as GC teams won’t be too eager to ride all day or take the red jersey this early in the race. The likes of Michael Storer (25/1), Romain Grégoire (33/1) and Oier Lazcano (28/1) could be ones to look out for.

We need to get deeper into the race to better judge riders’ form and this could go either way between a GC or breakaway win. But after the stage 2 truce, let’s go for Jumbo-Visma to put down an early marker and Primož Roglič to take the win.

Stage 3 Bets

Primož Roglič 1pt win @7/2

Posted 00:17 BST Mon 28th August 2023

Prices to win the stage (in brackets) are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change - find the best prices available on the Vuelta a España at Oddschecker

[Vuelta a España stage profiles reproduced by kind permission of Ben Lowe at Veloviewer.com]

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