David Gaudu produced a superb sprint to win the uphill finish on the third stage of the Vuelta a Espana as Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall lead.

It was the third Vuelta stage win of the 28-year-old Frenchman’s career, and his first since 2020.

Gaudu, who was third on Sunday, outfoxed his rivals on the final corner to finish just in front of Danish pair Mads Pedersen and Vingegaard.

Groupama-FDJ rider Gaudu took a superb inside line on the tight bend and had the punch to out-drag Pedersen in the final 50 metres, with Vingegaard unable to match them.

Vingegaard collected a four-second bonus for finishing third and although Gaudu earned 10 seconds for winning and has moved level on time with the Dane, the two-time Tour de France champion retained the overall lead on count-back of the finishing places so far.

Pedersen had been strongly fancied for the 134.6km stage from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres and Gaudu acknowledged it was a shock to beat the Lidl-Trek man.

“It was a surprise, yes, because I was thinking on the bus this morning the finish was more for Pedersen, but they said I could win today,” Gaudu said.

“The team did a very very good job and I’m very very proud to win for me and for the team. This is the best beginning of the Vuelta.”

Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock finished 23rd and remains fifth in the general classification.

Tuesday’s stage, a 206.7km medium mountain route from Susa to Voiron, is the last of four stages in Italy before the Vuelta heads to Spain.

Before stage three, Vinegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team said they had had “several bikes stolen overnight” from their mechanics’ truck and that police had “launched an investigation” into the incident.