Stage 3 Tour of the Alps Preview: A chance for the attackers as the race rolls into Arco?

The Tour of the Alps only really got going with Tuesday's summit finish on stage two. From here the climbing will be near-constant until the final stage on Friday. Wednesday's third stage is no exception. IDL Pro Cycling breaks down the route and the contenders for you.

The stage finishes on flat ground after a descent and a short kick to the line in Arco — but a bunch sprint with a full peloton looks unlikely. The stage starts relatively easily in Latsch before the road quickly rises.

The Passo Castrin is a first-category climb that takes the riders up to 1,586 metres. It is 22.2 kilometres long at an average of 5.7%, though the opening and closing sections contain stretches of 8 to 10%.

Because the Castrin comes so early in the stage, we would expect it to be a hunting ground for breakaway riders rather than a trigger for GC attacks. The real finale is likely to begin after Dercolo, with three climbs packed into the final 80 kilometres.

Those climbs are compelling for the classification riders but not obviously explosive in isolation: the ascent to Andalo (14.4 km at 5.4%), the unclassified Passo Ballino (9.7 km at 3.7%) and Ville del Monte (4.4 km at 4.4%) are not the kind of terrain that typically produces mayhem. They are climbs where the GC men need to stay alert rather than go all-out.

After the final climb, the race descends quickly into Arco and a flat finish. A reduced bunch sprint or a breakaway that stays clear — we will know by 14:20, after which the attention turns to the Flèche Wallonne.

Times
Start: 10 a.m.
Finish: 2:20 p.m*

The Tour of the Alps has been fortunate so far. After a dry opening day and a chilly but sunny summit finish on Tuesday, Wednesday should be warmer still, with temperatures above 10°C at the start in Latsch and up to 16°C at the finish in Arco. Sunny again, with a light south-westerly breeze.

This is an interesting stage, because while the GC men cannot afford to switch off, the profile feels tailor-made for attackers — specifically riders who climb well but are not pure contenders for the overall. Tudor have an interesting option in Florian Stork, though the question is whether GC leaders Michael Storer and Mathys Rondel will give him the freedom to go.

At Jayco AlUla, Ben O'Connor is riding for the overall, but on a day like this he may not need all of his domestiques. Which raises the question: why couldn't this be a classic Koen Bouwman day? The Dutchman was in strong form at this race last year, has the speed for a reduced-bunch sprint, and is building towards the Giro d'Italia.

Lidl-Trek have reportedly given their support riders something close to a free rein to attack. Matteo Sobrero and Sam Oomen are interesting options in that case — especially with GC man Derek Gee having already lost time on Tuesday. Giulio Pellizzari could give Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's teammates a free ride, though young Lorenzo Finn sits so close to the race leader in the standings that the team may think twice.

More potential breakaway men? Picnic PostNL are racing without a clear leader, so Gijs Leemreize, Chris Hamilton and James Knox should have every reason to try their luck. Local rider Mattia Gaffuri — excellent again on Tuesday — may still be considered a GC threat after his performance on the Val Martello. And if Pidcock himself shifts focus towards a stage win rather than the overall, he remains a threat at the finish.

The continental and pro-continental teams will also have circled this day as an opportunity. If the break is caught, Stork, Pidcock and Tommaso Dati all showed pace in the stage one sprint. For Dati, however, the climbing work required to stay with the leaders on these roads may be a step too far. Finn, on the other hand, is exactly the type to win a stage like this from a reduced group — and so, of course, is Pellizzari.

Top favorites: Koen Bouwman (Jayco AlUla) and Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Outsiders: Florian Stork (Tudor), Matteo Sobrero (Lidl-Trek) and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5)
Long shots: Giulio Pellizzari, Aleksandr Vlasov (both Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Mathys Rondel (Tudor), Sam Oomen (Lidl-Trek), Chris Hamilton, Mattia Gaffuri (both Picnic PostNL) and Tommaso Dati (UKYO)