Markel Beloki wins the Tour de Ain, staying in the group of the best in the third stage

The Alavés cyclist Markel Beloki (EF Education - Easy Post) has won the Tour de Ain, maintaining the 52 seconds advantage he achieved in the second stage, and remaining in the group of the best in the third and final.

The last stage of the race was a 131.5 km journey betweenOyonnax and Lelex Monts-Jura , with seven punctuable ports in between. The last port had to have a special prominence: the port of Menthieres, with an average slope of 9.1 km and 7%, in the absence of 21 km by the end of the stage.

Beloki demonstrated his counterclockwise virtues in the flat stretch at the end of the second day to put more than 50 seconds into his rivals, an advantage he had today to keep the yellow jersey. A getaway has moved away from the platoon in the initial climbs, but the stage had to be decided between the candidates for the general.

Within 36 kilometres of the end of the race, at the foot of the Menthieres, the platoon was once again assembled, and from the first few metres of the ascent the platoon has been shrinking, although on the lowest slopes more cyclists have joined the main group.

Within 26 kilometers of the finish line, Brazilian Henrique Bravo (Soudal Devo) attacked and Beloki, along with his teammate Jefferson Alexander Cepeda and Irish Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), followed his wheel, followed by French Axel Mariault (CIC Pro Cycling) (second overall) and English Huw Buck Jones(Bourg-en-Bresse Ain).

The last leg of the day and the Tour de Ain was a long climb, and Beloki's rivals, especially Bravo and Nicola Conci (Astana) , have tried to attack on the hardest slopes, but have failed to leave the Vitorian behind.

The one who took advantage of the Alavés's effort was the Ecuadorian Jefferson Cepeda, his teammate, who, less than two kilometers from the end, jumped off the front team and no one was able to follow him after the intense pace the Alavés set.

However, the adventure of the Ecuadorian has not lasted long, as the fugitives have reached the finish line again. In the final sprint, Mariault has prevailed, leaving second place for Beloki, who has re-validated the overall victory.

At the age of 21, it is Markel Beloki's first victory in a lap. Belokitakes over from Cian Uijtdebroeks  Movistar cyclist on the champion of the race. Slovenian Primoz Roglic or French Thibaut Pinot have also won the Tour de Ain.