Tim Wellens attacked with 16km to go and held off his pursuers to win the third stage of Etoile de Besseges. Photo: Supplied
Tim Wellens attacked with 16km to go and held off his pursuers to win the third stage of Etoile de Besseges by 16 seconds and grab the overall lead.
The Belgian Lotto-Soudal rider escaped from a breakaway group on a descent on the hilly 154.8km circuit that began and ended in Besseges in the south of France.
He went on to finish 37 seconds ahead of a small group led home by compatriot Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) and Dane Mads Wuertz Schmidt (Israel Start-Up Nation).
With two stages remaining, Wellens took the leader’s pink jersey from Frenchman Christophe Laporte (Cofidis). Theuns is second overall, 44 seconds back.
Saturday’s penultimate stage over 151.5km will take the peloton from Rousson to Saint-Siffret.
Stage three
| 1 | Tim Wellens | BEL | 3:28:02 |
| 2 | Edward Theuns | BEL | +0:37 |
| 3 | Mads Schmidt | DEN | |
| 4 | Greg van Avermaet | BEL | |
| 5 | Philippe Gilbert | BEL | |
| 6 | Cyril Barthe | FRA | |
| 7 | Jake Stewart | GBR | |
| 8 | Nils Politt | GER | |
| 9 | Michael Gogl | AUS | |
| 10 | Michal Kwiatkowski | POL |
*Selected
| 125 | Morne van Niekerk | RSA | +20:42 |
General classification
| 1 | Tim Wellens | BEL | 10:17:38 |
| 2 | Edward Theuns | BEL | +0:44 |
| 3 | Mads Schmidt | DEN | +0:46 |
| 4 | Michal Kwiatkowski | POL | +0:48 |
| 5 | Philippe Gilbert | BEL | +0:49 |
| 6 | Jake Stewart | GBR | +0:50 |
| 7 | Greg van Avermaet | BEL | |
| 8 | Michael Gogl | AUS | |
| 9 | Cyril Barthe | FRA | |
| 10 | Stefano Oldani | ITA |
*Selected
| 122 | Morne van Niekerk | RSA | +20:42 |
