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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.<\/b><\/p>\n
It was the third Vuelta stage win of the 28-year-old Frenchman’s career, and his first since 2020.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Great Britain’s Tom Pidcock finished 23rd and remains fifth in the general classification.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n