Tour of Slovakia: Lennert Van Eetvelt wins hilly stage 3 and takes over race lead

Stage 3 of the Tour of Slovakia delivered a rare outcome for the event as a rider other than Paul Magnier claimed the victory. Lennert Van Eetvelt of Lotto-Intermarché secured the stage win and successfully took over the overall race lead.

It was a demanding day of racing through the hills on the road to Dohňany, featuring 2,100 metres of climbing. The tough stage was ultimately decided on the final climb of the day—Kohútka, which stretches 6.2km with an average gradient of 6.6%.

On this decisive climb, Lennert Van Eetvelt and Henrique Bravo of Soudal-QuickStep broke clear at the front with 25km remaining to the finish line, securing their escape.