Laurent Didier, who won last year’s stage five of the USA Pro Challenge into Breckenridge, tried to repeat the feat Wednesday into Aspen with an attack on Independence Pass, but a stiff headwind on the descent ended his drive, although it did award him the most aggressive rider for the 163-kilomter stage three.

“Laurent was really good today, he was climbing really well and he gave it a go,” said director Kim Andersen. “It was known from the start that the break would have a hard time because there were two guys there within a minute and a half of the yellow jersey and BMC would not give them a big lead.

“There was a headwind on the descent and on your own there was no chance against a group. Laurent needed probably three minutes at the top and he did not have that. But I was very impressed with how he rode today.”

The headwind allowed the small yellow jersey group that also included Trek Factory Racing’s newest climbing sensation Julien Bernard to easily snatch back Didier - the last man standing of the early 11-man breakaway - and also permitted a large group to catch on from behind to swell the lead group to 30 strong.

Julian Arredondo, who had lost contact near the top of the pass, was amongst the riders to pedal back into contention, as was Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) who was the fastest in the reduced bunch sprint into Aspen, taking the stage victory. 

Arredondo sprinted to 5th from the reduced group, and Bernard finished in 13th; both maintained their 9th and 10th in the overall classification respectively.

“Julian [Arredondo] came off just before the top and luckily he was able to come back with a group,” added Andersen. “It was nice to see Julien [Bernard] so good – that was very impressive. He never looked like he was in trouble.”

Stagiaire Julien Bernard, 23, showed sparks of his climbing prowess in the Tour of Utah where he had to first acclimatize to a new team, new bike, and the high altitude, and has continued to shine in Colorado.

“It was not an easy day, a real leg breaker, there was not a meter of flat,” explained Julien Bernard. “But it was the same for everyone. I have to say I really enjoyed today. Matthew [Busche] worked hard to get me in good position for the last climb. And on the climb UHC and Rohan Dennis – a one-man show almost – set the tempo and by the top there were only 10 guys left.  I was happy to be there, but I knew the race was not over yet, and in the descent Julian’s group came back.

“It’s very unusual to go this high - more than half the stage was over 10 thousand feet (3000 meters).  We climbed to 3600 meters (12,000 feet) and I have never, never done that. It was an impressive climb for me, very long, and I could definitely feel the lack of oxygen at the top. But I had good sensations, I felt good, and I am happy with my performance.”

Thursday the riders will tackle the iconic Independence Pass right from the start as they reverse their route out of Aspen and head toward the finish in Breckenridge, the same ending as 2014 when Laurent Didier attacked out of the breakaway on the final climb and soloed to a fantastic win. 

Perhaps, stage three was simply a tune-up for the Luxembourger, who showed Tuesday, if anything, he has the legs to make a repeat.