Orica-GreenEDGE may have failed to win stage 3 of the Tour of Alberta but the Australian team played a key role in animating the stage. Having attacked hard in crosswinds, they split the peloton the pieces and came away with a third place and an improved position in the GC.

After a successful day on the road, ORICA-GreenEDGE has emerged from stage three of the Tour of Alberta with a podium finish, bonus intermediate sprint seconds, the team’s classification and the King of the Mountains jersey this afternoon.

As the major priority the outfit committed to the protection and support of key general classification contender Daryl Impey, going on the offensive to break up the race with an aggressive ride. 

A second consecutive day’s effort from Impey, the first South African to wear the yellow jersey, at the intermediate sprint point gained the 29-year-old more bonus seconds moving him into sixth position overall.

“It was an incredible day by the team today,” sport director Matt Wilson said.

“It was quite a windy stage, we were looking for opportunities to try and split it up in the cross winds and the guys found an opportunity with about 50km to go.

“The whole team rode incredibly.  We had all eight guys in the front group of about 40 riders and they committed for Daryl 100% to keep the break away.”

In an added bonus, multiple world track champion Leigh Howard rounded out the podium on today’s stage and sits just ahead of Impey on the general classification.

Howard escaped from the reduced front group alongside Sep Vanmarcke (BEL) and Ramunas Navardauskas (GRS) on the final lap of the 6km circuit in Edmonton.

The 24-year-old led into the final corner, but a well-timed move by Vanmarcke caught his counterparts off guard and was enough to take the victory. ORICA-GreenEDGE’s Aidis Kruopis won the bunch sprint for fourth.

Without any classified climbs today, British neo-pro Simon Yates also moves into the penultimate day of racing retaining the King of the Mountains jersey.

Wilson was pleased with the efforts of the whole team, which place them in a handy position with two stages remaining.

“On paper it was a great day,” Wilson said.

“Daryl got a time bonus and moved up in the general classification, Leigh is just ahead of him and we have the teams classification and KOM jersey.

“Going into the final two stages we have plenty of options. I think the race is wide open and hopefully we can finish it off with a bang.”