The 24-year-old is 16th in the general classification after the first test of the Tour de Pologne.
Day three of the World Tour race was one for the puncheurs, but long before they battled out for victory, it was Quick-Step Floors who took center stage, first with Bob Jungels, who picked up three bonus seconds at the first intermediate sprint, only ten kilometers from the start, and then with neo-pro Rémi Cavagna, who featured in the break which survived until midway through the stage's penultimate climb.
Once the catch was made, Laurens De Plus had a dig from the bunch and created some damage, before taking maximum points at the top of the ascent and attempting a solo move, which was shut down on the descent. Jack Haig (Orica-Scott) then tried his luck, but he too was reeled in by the select group, from which Dylan Teuns (BMC) emerged victorious on the brutal ramp to the finish, which averaged 10.8% over 1000 meters.
The steep finish wasn't Bob Jungels' cup of tea, but the Luxembourger timed his effort and paced himself admirably when the gradients kicked out at 17%, managing to limit the losses by the time he crossed the line in Szczyrk. This remarkable fighting spirit helped Bob jump in the standings up to 16th, around half a minute behind new leader Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).
"It was a really warm day out there and when we arrived at the bottom of the climb we were already riding full gas, so the tempo was really high. I knew this ascent didn't suit me, so instead of going into the red once the attacks were fired, I just paced myself. I am satisfied with the result and I'm looking forward to the next stages", Bob said at the end of stage 3.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
