Archie Ryan went out with intent to take on UAE Team Emirates XRG on the final climb today, though the plan backfired just before the line. However, he is still squarely in the hunt and is climbing very strongly

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) has put in a very impressive climbing shift on stage 3 at Tour of Austria but will rue towing along two of his main rivals on the upper slopes of the final climb.

Though Ryan went to the front in pursuit of lone leader, Andrew August (Ineos Grenadiers), Isac del Toro and race leader Felix Großschartner, both of UAE Team Emirates XRG, were able to hold the Irishman.

Ryan’s intent was clearly to drop race leader Großschartner and eliminate him from the general classification. But it was a plan that backfired when the finish line appeared.

Still, Ryan rode very strongly on today’s 143km stage from Salzburg- Hellbrunn to Salzburg-Gaisberg, including the 4km final climb, and he remains very much in the fight for a place on the final podium.

Ryan was eventually 4th today, and slips one place to 4th overall. The only other Irishman in the race, Ryan’s team mate Darren Rafferty, was 12th at 49 seconds and is clearly coming good after a post-Giro break from racing.

On the finishing climb today, UAE Team Emirates XRG initially led on the front, as the peloton was reduced to a select group of riders. However, it was Ineos Grenadiers that struck out to begin the final.

Its young American rider, August, attacked with about 1.5km to go, and as the group was down to no more than a dozen riders. August looked impressive when he went; immediately getting a gap and then pulling it out to about 10-15 seconds.

Behind him, it was del Toro who took up the chase in the group, with Ireland’s Ryan planted on his back wheel and only three or four other riders able to follow.

However, with about 1km to go, Ryan hit the front of the group chasing August, with del Toro and his team mate, and race leader, Großschartner in tow. Everyone else had been distanced, though about 10 riders – including Rafferty – were in a line just a matter of seconds behind the small Ryan group.

Ryan then really pushed on at the front of the group, with the gap to August immediately starting to close. And while del Toro was able to hold Ryan, Großschartner was letting a small gap open and looked in trouble.

With 400m to go, Ryan was still on the front of the group, and had closed almost all the gap to August. However, del Toro and Großschartner were still sitting on Ryan.

The Irish rider checked back several times to see if Großschartner was dropped, clearly intent on distancing him.

And moments later, with about 250m to go, del Toro pulled the trigger; sprinting from behind Ryan to close up to August, passing him and galloping to the stage victory. August hung on for 2nd place, just five seconds down on del Toro, whose finishing burst over the final 250 was very impressive.

Großschartner, having looked like he was struggling all the way up the climb, then sprinted in for 3rd, just five two seconds down on August. Ryan died in the sprint and clearly had nothing left for that final push; finishing in 4th some 15 seconds down on del Toro, 10 seconds down on August and eight seconds down on Großschartner.

Those gaps were bigger for the general classification as the top three got time bonuses of 10, six and four seconds.

Großschartner retains the race leader’s jersey and now leads by just three seconds from del Toro, who also won yesterday’s stage 2. August is now up into 3rd, some 16 seconds down on the leader, and Ryan is 4th at 24 seconds.

Tomorrow’s stage is uphill for almost all of the last 20km; two hard climbs one after the other with on a brief section of descent between them as the riders head for the summit finish in Kühtai after just 117km of racing.

Del Toro and Ryan look like the two strongest climbers in the race and hopefully the Irishman can distance Großschartner and August tomorrow and claim a place in the top three in the general classification.