Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Greg Van Avermaet wins stage and takes GC lead

Stage 3 in the Tirreno-Adriatico is mostly flat. The last two riders of a break of five are reeled in with 20 kilometres left. All teams with a strong puncheur are eyeing up the stage win on the uphill arrivall in medieval Arezzo, but BMC is strongest. They work brilliantly for Van Avermaet, who performs just as brilliant. Taking the stage win he grabs the leader's jersey in doing so. (Slideshow route/profile)

Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Results 3rd stage

1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
3. Zdenek Stybar (cze) s.t.
4. Filippo Pozzato (ita) s.t.
5. Fabian Cancellara (swi) s.t.
6. Simon Geschke (ger) s.t.
7. Paul Martens (ger) s.t.
8. Andey Grivko (ukr) s.t.
9. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
10. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.

GC after the 3rd stage
1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) + 0.02
3. Adriano Malori (ita) + 0.08
4. Fabian Cancellara (swi) + 0.09
5. Matthias Brändle (aut) + 0.10
6. Ramunas Navardauskas (ltu)+ 0.13
7. Stephen Cummings (gbr) + 0.14
8. Jonathan Castroviejo (spa) + 0.16
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (noe) s.t.
10. Andrej Grivko (ukr) + 0.17

21. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.18
23. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.19
37. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.21
47. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 0.23
61. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.27
74. Nairo Quintana (col) + 0.29

Racereport
Once the flag is dropped Flens, Boem, Wyss, Quintero and Haga are gone. In no-time they race to a maximum gain of almost 15 minutes and then it gradually dissolves. In the last 20 kilometres the escapees' time is up when Haga and Boem are the last to be reeled in.

In the finale it all boils down to a clash between Stybar, Sagan and Van Avermaet, with the latter finishing the job after a strong team performance by BMC.