Valverde Wins Paris-Nice Third Stage

Last updated : 06 March 2012 By Kev Monks

Movistar's Alejandro Valverde won the third stage of the Paris-Nice classic this afternoon as Bradley Wiggins keeps his yellow jersey.

A 194km stage from Vierzon to the picturesque Lac de Vassivière faced the riders today and included two category three climbs.

At kilometre zero, Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank), Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun) and Roy Curvers (Project 1t4i) took off and were four minutes and thirty seconds ahead of a peloton which included race leader and yellow jersey wearer Bradley Wiggins and last man on the road Garmin's Christophe Le Mevel of Garmin-Barracuda, who was 18: 27 down.

The stage which was going on with Andy Schleck (pictured below) who had gone home ill, continued on another wetish day with Team Sky in charge of the peloton, all in their bad weather wear.

Therer was a crash with 55.2kms to go involving two Lotto riders and three Eustkatel riders and Cofidis' David Moncoutie but everyone seem to be ok.

The gap had come down to 3:45 with 50kms to go, meaning that Morkov, who was some three minutes behind Wiggins as the leaders on the road.

Wiggins at the front of the peloton had pulled back thirty seconds within twelve kilometres and a further three kilometres later, Wiggins was back as race leader.

The first climb of the day was at Cote de Bourganeuf after 167kms and saw the front three take the points. As the peloton headed for the  intermediate sprint in Payrat-le-Chateau, there was another crash with three riders involved.

Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun) went away as the peloton swept up the other two with eleven kilometres to go. He took the full intermediate sprint points with Geraint Thomas getting two points but the peloton was coming up behind him and with 6.2kms to go, his tour of duty at the front was over. 

The final climb of the day was at Lac de Vassivière and on the climb up, attacks started to happen with Vacansoleil's Sergey Lagutin, the first to try his luck.

He was caught just before the flam rouge by a Movistar led peloton and out of nowhere, Greenedge's Simon Gerrens came up and was just beaten by Alejandro Valverde with Gianni Meersman of Lotto-Belisol in third.

Bradley Wiggins keeps his leaders yellow jersey by six seconds.