An awkward 134km second stage for the riders today as we await the two demanding queen stages 4 and 5. Though stages like this are always excellent chances for the adventurous breakaway riders.
You can tell that have bullseyed this stage as a chance to get away as three of their team Elchin Asadov, Indalecio Lagrou and Rasha Abbasov get in the opening breakaway.
They are joined by Filip Rada Bart Sinnige Charles Dionne Dean Podgornik Andrei Krasilnikau Ed Clancy Steve Zampieri
and Jan Almblad
Armavia's Asadov wins the first sprint ahead of Dionne and Podgornik. The pack like in the opening stage are not that happy about letting the break go but struggle to pull it back as it looks as though they are giving up four more riders look to bridge.
Fabricio Morandi Mark McNally Pekka Jääskeläinen Kasper Klostergaard
look to get up to the other 11.
The Petrobrus rider Morandi is a pretty decent climber and whilst not as talented as his twin Maurizio Morandi who is also in this race is probably seen as a slight threat.
Indeed AMEX and Metinvest decide to put their footsoldiers on the front and chase this break down.
A smaller group then gets up the road Zampieri and Almblad from the original are joined by Kristjan Fajt, Alexander Porsev and Tino Thömel
Russian potential sprinter Porsev takes a small sprint at the second of the days primes battling with German Thomel who also fits the potential decent sprinter mold. Both may struggle on the hilly stuff later today and certainly in the mountains later in the week, but Fajt nabbing third will be happy to get a small bonus.
As we approach the days first climb three more riders chance their arm.
Goran Smelcerovic, Wang-yip Tang and Maxim Burlutsky are the riders and all three are decent climbers, certainly of the smaller climbs we have in prospect today. None of the three teams involved here have a confirmed mountain goat in the team so today is clearly a big target.
Ignacio Sarabia meanwhile waits until the climb to try and make a move.
He may have missed the boat though as the other three make good progress, the Mexican is struggling to make inroads.
The lead five do make it to the first mountain prime though, which rewards the winner with 10 KoM points which the best climber Fajt narrowly takes over Cativen strongman Almblad.
Porsev, Zampieri and a clearly struggling Thomel take the minor points. Meanwhile UPC are trying to control the chase which is stretching the legs of the pack.
The three chasers Smelcerovic, Burlutskiy and Tang join the chase, Burlutskiy looking to have played a decent card yet again.
With 40km or so to go they lead Sarabia by 1.30 and the pack by about four minutes. Burlutskiy gives Armavia their second prime of the day ahead of his other two late attackers Smelcerovic and Tang.
However the three new faces in the break do not get things all their own way as Fajt having win the first king of the mountains prime takes the second (also a 10 pointer) to move comfortably in the lead of the competition. The second climb decisively drops Thomel and Zampieri who drop back to Sarabia still struggling to bridge a couple of minutes behind the break.
But Serrano and Milan are not really fully committed with teammates who have decent chances up the road they rather limply give up.
Also teams like Gazprom and AMEX still working hard to maintain a strong pace in the pack making it difficult for an attack in the last 30km to stick.
Little chances of getting away for any of the other favourites but plenty to lose if misfortune hits and Tour of San Juan winner Isidro Nozal hits the deck.
UPC decide not to send anyone back for the veteran Spanish rider rather saving themselves for Dutch old timer Remmert Wielinga and protecting race leader Iban Iriondo
As we enter the last 18km to break still has two minutes on Sarabia/Thomel/Zampieri and over three minutes on the pack. Not only does the stage win seem confirmed but also a change of lead from Irondio to someone else.
Fajt strikes out fairly early on the last categorised climb seemingly for King of the mountains points.
The other five look at each other to respond but the gap grows to over thirty seconds, so the Slovenian decides to maintain his attack.
He takes the prime to really cement his King of the Mountains position, but now he realises the chance of stage/GC glory.
Behind the others are playing the game of trying to eliminate each other as Tang and Porsev look like bridging to Fajt without Almblad, Burlutskiy and Smelcerovic.
Tang sees the other three coming across and eases up his effort allowing Fajt to forge back up the road to a lead of 30 or so seconds. The Slovenian continues on his merry way.
The stakes are high today, with a place in the Tour of Colorado squad up for stake. The five behind sense the Fajt will have nothing left for a sprint and fan out across the road Tang eyeing Smelcerovic, Almblad, Porsev and Burlutskiy.
Under the kite, we can see behind Fajt the sprint is beginning.
Tang fully commits and Burlutskiy, Almblad and Porsev struggle to match Tangs speed. However Smelcerovic is right there as they close of Fajt.
But they run out of road and Fajt enjoys his win.
You were not sure really whether he really attacked on the climb for the stage or for mountain points, but when he got the gap he just kept plugging away. Tang was probably the strongest in the break but ends up losing out for second to Smelcerovic on the line. Burlutskiy is 4th ahead of the game Porsev, this Russian could be a decent rider if he fulfills his potential.
Almblad is sixth, as Thomel and Zampieri are absorbed by the bunch a lone Dyson rider - Sarabia finishes just ahead of the pack.
His attack gains him 15 seconds and we see the yellow jersey of Iriondo near the front.
The pack finishes at 2.16 so the Spanish rider will lose his leaders jersey to Fajt but will take over the points jersey. But what a roll Pivovarna Laško are on winning the two recent hilly classics and taking this stage with Fajt, who is a decent climber!
Stage results
Nozal lost a lot of time in the run in, another favourite slipping back was John Freddy Agudelo.
GC
P Lasko are putting their riders forward here, stage one was Vrecer and Stage two we have Fajt. Both are decent mountain climbers. Smelcerovic took second place on the stage is also can get up mountain climbs okay as well as can Hong Kong rider Tang.
