Etoile de Bessèges: Benjamin Thomas wins stage 3, takes GC lead

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Benjamin Thomas took Cofidis' second victory in two days at the Etoile de Bessèges after emerging strongest from a late attack group in Bessèges on stage 3.

The Frenchman took off alone with three kilometres to go, dropping Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) and youth classification leader Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling) after the trio had escaped on the final climb of the day, the Col de Trélis, with seven kilometres to go.

Bettiol and Johannessen rounded out the podium at nine seconds down, while the latter's teammate Rasmus Tiller led the chasing peloton home in fourth place a further six seconds down.

Thomas, who lay fourth overall at the start of the day, jumped up the general classification into top spot as a result of his stage triumph – his first road race victory since 2017. 

He now leads Bettiol by seven seconds while Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) lies in third at 15 seconds. Former leader Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) drops to 10th overall at 51 seconds.

"I came to the Etoile de Bessèges to raise my arms [in victory], the general classification comes afterwards. Tomorrow we will have to resist. I will be the man to beat," Thomas said after the stage.

The Col de Trélis was the main flashpoint of the stage, with the day's breakaway finally caught at the start of the climb and then attacks flying on the way up after Pedersen was dropped from the front of the race.

Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) made a strong move, which in turn launched neo-pro Johannessen and what would become the winning move, with time trial specialist Thomas eventually making the decisive attack on the flat run to the finish afterwards.

How it unfolded

The third stage of the Etoile de Bessèges would provide another hilly test for the peloton, following stage 2's uphill sprint finish which saw Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) break his 18-month winless streak.

The town of Bessèges hosted the start and finish of the 155-kilometre stage, while four classified climbs – including the early first-cat Dieusses and the second-cat Col de Brousses at 26 kilometres to go – dotted the route. The unclassified Col de Trélis (2.4km at 6.5 per cent) lay seven kilometres from the line.

The first section of the stage saw a strong breakaway establish themselves, with Ineos Grenadiers neo-pro joined out front by Samuele Zoccarato (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Jérémy Cabot (TotalEnergies), Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-Samsic), and Sebastian Schönberger (B&B Hotels-KTM).

Houle and Guernalec shot up the virtual GC as a result of the move, with the pair lying 1:14 down at the start of the day and the break enjoying a four-minute lead on the peloton during the day.

However, it wouldn't last, with Trek-Segafredo, EF-EasyPost and UAE Team Emirates working at the head of the peloton before Groupama-FDJ massed on the front to deliver the killer blow to the break's hopes over the final climbs.

Guernalec attempted to make the move last longer on the Brousses before the 19-year-old Sheffield had the last hurrah out front before being caught on the Trélis. With the riders all together at the front at that decisive point, the attacks started on the front.

Johannessen jumped after Latour's move on the climb, taking with him Thomas and Bettiol as Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) attempted to chase without managing to get across.

Before the drama of the final chase and Thomas' winning move, there was some drama on the way down as Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) slid out and hit the deck, his challenge at the front over. The attacking trio held a slim lead of just 20 seconds as they hit the flat with five kilometres to go, but that proved to be enough to stay away.

A few kilometres later, Thomas took his chance, using his TT skills to great effect to stick it out to the finish after springing his unseen attack from the rear of the group.