Alberto Dainese wins stage 3
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Breakaway began with five riders (L to R): Hugo Aznar of Equipo Kern Pharma, Fredrik Dversnes of Uno-X Mobility, Romain Cardis of St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, Damien Girard of Nice Metropole Cote d'Azur and Leo Danes of CIC U Nantes Atlantique
(Image credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Ewen Costiou in Yellow Leader Jersey rides between Arkéa-BB Hotels teammates Kevin Ledanois and Mathis Le Berre
(Image credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Race leader Ewen Costiou carries the Yellow leader jersey among his red-clad teammates
(Image credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) notched up his first win of the 2024 season, out-sprinting Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) at the end of the 159.9 stage from Segré-en-Anjou Bleu to Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne.
A five-rider breakaway formed in the first hour Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility), Hugo Aznar (Kern Pharma), Leo Danês(CIC U Nantes Atlantique), Damien Girard (Nice Metropole Côte d’Azur), Romain Cardis (St Michel-Mavic-Auber ‘93)
After Aznar threw in the towel in the final hour, the remainder of the breakaway was brought back with 17 kilometres to go.
More attacks followed by Arkéa-B&B Hotels were intent on bringing the stage down to a sprint. Attacks by Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos BH) and then Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ) were quickly neutralised.
Ben Healy delivered a powerful lead-out for his EF Education-EasyPost teammate heading into the final kilometre with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) on the wheel but Dainese came around the outside and denied them both, with Bennett snatching third place with a bike throw.
Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.
