Robert John McCarthy of the Jayco Australia U23 team won the third stage of the 61st Jayco Sun Herald Tour.
This 157km stage from Mitchelton Winery to Nagambie started at 9.30am to avoid the heat of the day and saw six riders attack as soon as the flag dropped after a 4.2km neutal zone.
That had increased to Kordamentha Real Estate - Team Australia's Chris Jory, Rapha Condor's Hugh Carth, Davide Frattini of Unitedhealthcare, Nathan Elliott of African Wildlife Safaris, John Anderson of Drapac, Sam Spokes of Jayco Australian U23, Elchin Asadov of Synergy Baku and Juel trying to bridge across after eight kilometres.
Kristian Juel of Team Budget Forklifts made it to the escapers and they opened up a lead of three minutes before the two King Of The Mountains climbs.
Orica Green Edge working for race leader Simon Clarke, along with Garmin helped to shave a minute off as they passed the 90kms gone mark.
John Anderson of the Drapac team took the intermediate sprint but the gap was dropping to 1.30 with 57kms remaining.
Jory broke away taking a twenty second lead on the escapers who remained 1.30 ahead of the peloton.
However, it was short lived as Jory was caught by the escapers for the final forty kilometres of the penultimate stage.
Cannondale drove on and with 25kms left, the peloton are fifty seconds behind the escapers, who avoided a crash in the peloton which involved riders from Garmin Sharp and Cannondale, some ten kilometres later.
Pat Shaw of the Kordamentha Real Estate - Team Australia was the worst affected in the crash and was forced to abandon the race which continued with the eight escapers just ahead of the peloton until they were caught and Orica Green Edge and Garmin took to the front entering the final kilometre.
Up came Robert John McCarthy of the Jayco Australian U23 team and he took the win a bunch sprint in Nagambie.
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