FDJ Alexandre Geniez has won the third stage of the Vuelta a España.
Stage Three was from Marin to Mirador de Ezaro and was 176.4 kms long and a stage which had Michal Kwaitkowski in the leader's red jersey.
Alexandre Geniez (FDJ), Pieter Serry (Etixx-Quick Step), Rudiger Selig (Bora-Argon 18), Gatis Smukulis (Katusha), Simon Pellaud (IAM Cycling), Jérôme Cousin (Cofidis) and David Arroyo (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) formed the first break and on a day of reported temperatures of 33C, they were able to get 2.50 ahead.
Warren Barguil becomes the first abandon of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana as the gap went out to over five minutes.
Jerome Cousin and Simon Pellaud attacked with 61kms to go with Serry and Geniez joining them but Pellaud decided to go on his own and took the points on the first climb of the day.
Pellaud was seven minutes clear with 43kms left but was joined by Serry and Geniez on the Alto das Paxareiras climb.
Onto the final climb and their gap was down to two minutes with just fifteen hundred metres left with Geniez and Serry going for it.
Serry cracked and it was Alexandre Geniez of FDJ who took the win in 4.28.36.ahead of Ruben Fernandez of Movistar and Valverde with Chris Froome fourth.
Ruben Fernandez of Movistar leads the race.