Cycling news – Tim Wellens extends Ruta del Sol lead after sprinting to second stage win

ByMichael Hincks

Updated 22/02/2019 at 16:39 GMT

Tim Wellens extended his overall lead in the Ruta del Sol after winning the third stage in Andalucía on Friday.

The defending champion, who also won the first stage, finished two seconds faster than Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang, whom he also leads by seven seconds overall.

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Another Astana rider Ion Izagirre finished eight seconds behind, and he is third, trailing Lotto-Soudal’s Wellens by 14 seconds.

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24/02/2019 at 16:37

Wellens averaged a speed of 43.4kph as he rode the 16.2km course in 22mins 25secs.

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The Belgian’s seven-second lead will come under scrutiny on Saturday however, with climbers Fuglsang and Izagirre set to challenge him on the mountainous stage from Armilla to Granada.

Briton’s Adam Yates is currently one minute and four seconds off the pace down in ninth.

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