Gautier wins Tour du Limousin stage 3

Cyril Gautier (AG2R La Mondiale) took out the victory on stage 3 of the Tour du Limousin from the day's successful breakaway. The Frenchman scored his first win of the 2017 season by attacking his fellow escapees in the uphill sprint.

Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) was second, ahead of Nicolas Edet (Cofids).

The chasing peloton may have missed contesting the stage win, but there was a push from stage 2 winner Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale) to distance overnight leader Elie Gesbert (Fortuneo-Oscaro). The young Frenchman stubbornly refused to give up enough time, however, and held onto his slender four-second lead in the general classification over Vuillermoz. Francesco Gavazzi (Androni Giocattoli) remains in third overall at 19 seconds.

"After Alexis Vuillermoz won yesterday, the team proved that we have a super dynamic! Everybody is very motivated to do great things, and it worked ! Ten of us escaped and the breakaway was able to go the distance, so I am very excited to win today, which is my first of the season. For the major WorldTour races, it is my job to work for the team leaders, and I really enjoy that. But I am also happy to grab a victory when I have the chance," said Gautier. "I don't win that often, so I want to savor the moment.

Stage 3 of the Tour du Limousin, a 184.7km trek from Saint to Pantaléon de Larche took the peloton over three category 2 climbs in the second half of the stage, making for a difficult day in the saddle for many.

After an aggressive start, seven riders broke free: Cyril Gautier (AG2R La Mondiale), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Romain Sicard (Direct Energie), Thomas Degand (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias) and Julien Antomarchi (Roubaix-Lille Métropole). Simone Sterbini (Bardiani-CSF) was also with them for a time, but he was distanced.

A chasing group with Grégory Habeaux (WB-Veranclassic-Aqua Protect), Philipp Walsleben (Beobank-Corendon), Flavien Dassonville and Jérémy Bescond (HP BTP-Auber 93) linked up with the leaders after 20km of racing, and the 10 riders got to work solidifying their gap.

Antomarchi claimed all three sprint bonuses, and by the time they reached the first climb, the leaders had enjoyed their maximum advantage on the peloton at 4:00 and their lead had begun to dwindle.

At the first climb, the Côte de la Vaysse, Bravo led over the top ahead of Walsleben, putting the German into second in the mountains classification. Walsleben moved into the virtual lead in the standings by taking KOM 2, the Côte des Lestards, moving ahead of Bravo's teammate Aitor Gonzalez. Not one to rest on his laurels, Walsleben duly took the lead over the Côte des Géants and added to his tally.

The breakaway still had almost three minutes to play with, but with 21km to go the peloton had begun its pursuit and Bescond decided to attack as they entered the finishing circuit. His move shot Dassonville and Bravo out the back of the breakaway, but the others quickly reeled in the Auber 93 rider.

With 10km to go, the leaders still had enough of an advantage that Sicard, at 1:49 behind overnight leader Gesbert was the virtual race leader, but AG2R La Mondiale put in a furious chase for second-placed Alexis Vuillermoz, and by the time the breakaway reached 3km to go, Sicard's hopes had vanished.

Gautier launched his move on the uphill finish, and held on to take a commanding win over Degand and Edet, with Gesbert doing just enough to keep his lead in the overall standings.

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