The third stage of the Tour de Pologne was interrupted for about twenty minutes on Wednesday due to a significant crash. Several riders went down in a descent with about 15 kilometers to go to the finish. Yellow jersey wearer Paul Lapeira abandoned the race.
The 25-year-old Lapeira was one of the riders who were in a ditch. Rafal Majka, Antonio Tiberi, and Mathias Vacek were also involved in the crash.
Immediately after the crash, the peloton slowed down. Shortly after, the race was stopped by the jury so that ambulances could reach the scene of the accident without any problems. Only leader Lapeira appeared unable to continue. Vacek, who was also involved in the crash, takes over the leader’s jersey due to Lapeira’s withdrawal.
The hilly stage starting and finishing in Walbrzych was won after a sprint by the Briton Ben Turner. The 26-year-old rider from INEOS Grenadiers defeated the Spaniard Pello Bilbao and the Italian Andrea Bagioli. Pepijn Reinderink finished seventh.
The Tour de Pologne lasts until Sunday. The seven-day stage race continues on Thursday with a 200-kilometer stage from Rybnik to Cieszyn. Although there are some altitude meters on the program, the expectation is that the sprinters will be back in charge.