A “pink rocket” from the Netherlands, Jelle Johannink of Unibet Rose Rockets, emerged as the standout winner of the highly anticipated and thrilling third stage of the ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas 2026 — the race’s so-called “queen stage” — while also claiming the overall leader’s jersey of Greece’s premier cycling event.
The demanding 207.3 km route from the Port of Volos to the Lamia Expo and Trade Centre had everything: constantly changing scenery, elevation profiles, weather conditions, and shifts in the lead, as each team executed its own tactical plan targeting different jerseys.
From the very beginning, Unibet Rose Rockets made their intentions clear, controlling the pace and targeting the stage victory. The Dutch squad’s pink and blue jerseys were repeatedly seen at the front of the peloton and, with three riders still present in the final kilometres of the long descent into Lamia, they delivered Johannink perfectly positioned for the decisive sprint finish.
The result fully justified both the team’s strategy and the efforts of the 30-year-old rider from Denekamp, who celebrated the first professional victory of his career after 5 hours, 35 minutes and 14 seconds of gruelling racing.
“It was really hard on the climbs. My team was pushing all in. I was almost dropped by my own teammates but they were so strong and I said I only need to follow and then I wanted to take it in the sprint. It's crazy, it's a mountain stage and my first pro win. I need to say thanks to the whole team that they believed in me and today we take a big victory. Thank you very much.”
Czech rider Václav Ježek of Kasper Crypto4Me finished second behind Johannink and moved into the lead of the Best Young Rider classification.
“I think it was a really tough race for us. The first part was rainy, and after that the conditions got better. But overall, it was a very hard stage, more than 200 kilometres.
I really have to talk about the team’s performance because they were amazing today. Everyone gave their best to help me, and we did a great job together. I managed to stay in the front group, and after that I felt really strong.
In the intermediate sprints, I finished second and third, and I thought I’ll probably take the white jersey. Then, in the final sprint, I finished second as well. So, yeah, I’m really happy with that result,” said the Czech rider.
The winner of the Avance Mile special classification, Jesús Herrada of Burgos-Burpellet-BH, also reflected on the stage:
“Well, it was a really tough stage. At the start, the mountains, the rain, and the slippery roads made it very challenging. The final climb was also very hard, but overall the performance was good, and I hope tomorrow we can fight for the victory.”
Latvia’s Belohvoščiks of Bike Aid retained the Points Classification jersey, while Luxembourg’s Loïc Bettendorff of Hrinkow Advarics held on to the King of the Mountains jersey.
“After yesterday we knew that the pure sprinters would probably struggle a bit on a stage like this. The same was true for me, so we were quite confident that I could keep the jersey for at least one more day — and here I am with it.
After more than 4,500 meters of climbing and over six hours of racing on the beautiful roads of Greece, I’m really super happy to still have the jersey.,” said the Latvian rider.
Bettendorff added:
“It was definitely one of the toughest days on the bike for me. From the beginning, the plan was to go as hard as possible to take the first two KOMs, and I almost managed to do it perfectly. I took 18 out of 20 points, so I’m really happy with that. I extended my lead in the jersey competition, and I think tomorrow I can take it a little easier”.
Race Summary
From the neutral start along the Volos waterfront, rain jackets immediately came out across the peloton. With temperatures at 18°C, humidity at 83%, and light rain making the roads slippery, the riders began the long ascent towards the picturesque villages of Mount Pelion.
Loïc Bettendorff of Hrinkow Advarics immediately showed his determination to defend the King of the Mountains jersey, with Michal Schuran of Team United Shipping the only rider initially attempting to follow him. The Czech rider soon abandoned the effort, allowing Bettendorff to comfortably take the first Category 1 KOM sprint in Agios Georgios and secure 10 valuable points.
Behind him, Veljko Stojnić of Team United Shipping and Cypriot champion Andreas Miltiadis fought their own battle, collecting 8 and 6 points respectively.
Inside the peloton, attacks followed one another relentlessly. Polish rider Filip Gruszczyński (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) launched the most determined move before the second Category 1 KOM climb, producing a courageous effort that not only bridged across to Bettendorff but also carried him past the Luxembourger to claim the full 10 points, with Bettendorff taking 8.
On the descent back towards Volos, Solution Tech Nippo Rali controlled the tempo in the peloton, while Gruszczyński comfortably won the first intermediate sprint outside the city hall, adding six more points to his tally. The Polish rider also took the second intermediate sprint in Almyros, 82 kilometres from the finish, aiming to survive all the way to Anavra for the third and final KOM sprint (Category 2).
His hopes, however, proved short-lived. Unibet Rose Rockets increased the pace even further and, 15 kilometres later — with 67 km remaining — the peloton reeled the ambitious Pole back in.
A front group of 20 riders then emerged, with Norwegian teammates Eivind Fougner and Odd Eiking of Unibet Rose Rockets setting the pace, while Italians Matteo Fabbro and Domenico Pozzovivo of Solution Tech Nippo Rali monitored proceedings carefully.
Fabbro won the KOM sprint in Anavra and the six available points, ahead of Fougner and Eiking. Nevertheless, by the end of the day it was Bettendorff who had achieved his objective, retaining the lead in the mountains classification with 38 points ahead of Serbia’s Veljko Stojnić.
With Avance Mile bonus seconds available at 21.5 km and 20 km to go, Jesús Herrada of Burgos-Burpellet-BH attacked from the leading group and managed to gain six valuable seconds on general classification time.
During the final fully downhill section of the stage, the leading group pushed at maximum speed, with Piotr Pękala of ATT Investments attempting to launch a late move. The others reeled him back in with 2.5 kilometres remaining, setting up a bunch sprint for the finish.
Jelle Johannink rewarded the outstanding work of his Unibet Rose Rockets teammates — who had controlled the race from the very first kilometres in Pelion — by powering across the finish line first, ahead of 21-year-old Czech rider Václav Ježek, who also raised his arms in celebration after securing the best result of his career with second place.
