Another bloodbath on Day 3 as a host of riders crashed out of the race. Race authorities were at a loss to explain as experts and former riders criticised safety procedures during the tour.
  
  The morning race went off almost without a hitch as Torben Sturmann of Shinboners played a patient waiting game in the peloton, protected by his team as breakaway after breakaway was reeled in by the relentless pace-setters. Near the end, Yuri SuperTeam's Patya Gordyeva jumped the gun and initiated the sprint almost a hunded metres out. However, the luckless Russian had miscalculated for he was soon passed by Sturmann and Darkwave Recordings' Alain Dobbelaere.
  
  Frank van Galen of Il Grillo and Dan Korošec o Team iPower were the big losers as they failed to feature in the final sprint, having lost their way in the jostle for positions near the end.
  
  The only black spot was Yasunari Yamauchi's shock withdrawal midway through the race. The Japanese rider from Gradient Levellers had been spotted acting strangely before the start, wringing his hands and smacking himself on the head. 80km into the race, he tailed off and stopped at the side of the road, proceeding to rip off his helmet and fling it away, before curling up into a ball and rocking back and forth. Yamauchi was taken away for tests, still sucking on a thumb as he was helped into a waiting ambulance.
  
  The controversy started early in the second session of racing at the Aveiro (ITT). An innocuous sounding 47km ride, few could have imagined the carnage that would ensue.
  
  The writing was on the wall early on when Salvino Zubeldia (YuriSuperTeam) almost lost control at the Aveiro University turn and ended up having to stop and regain his bearings before continuing on

to a disappointing time and a 10th place finish.
  
  The warning was not heeded however when Dennis Frost of Team iPower went full speed into the corner and failed to make the turn, smashing heavily into the crash barriers. The sickening collision had red cross personnel running to the scene as the rider lay unresponsive in a heap. Holm had to be given oxygen as he became the second casualty from the unfortunate Danish team.
  
  It wasn't to be the only crash of the day though, as VakantieZon's Dutch rider Ivo Bosman fell to the same corner just minutes after Holm had been taken away. The Dutchman was not as seriously hurt, but likewise was forced to withdraw from the race with serious lacerations.
  
  Will Millican of Velo Club Bored Man was the final casualty of the day as he somehow went arse over tit 10km from the finish. His bike was mangled and his pride dented, but he also looked to have sprained an ankle badly and had to withdraw.
  
  However, there was a silver lining for the VCBM team as Bartosz Ozóg won the stage, pipping Torreira's Yasir Sahir to second place. Super Bros gun rider Jeremiah Masson managed a creditable third place.
  
  Ozóg leads the overall standings with a 12 second cushion over Sahir with hot favourite Isaak Papadimitriou (Club Ciclista Riaza) hot on their heels. Jahn Rosenlund (Team Jochem) retains the green sprinter's jersey by 17 points over Sturmann.
  
  The riders head to the mountains today, so we can expect the climb specialists to be salivating at the thought of the massive climbs ahead. The morning session will be the King of the Mountains stage between Aveiro and Penamacor, followed by an even higher and no less punishing Macedo de Cavaleiros - Vinhais.