David Gaudu took an aggressive approach to the last corner on La Vuelta stage 3, dive bombing Mads Pedersen for the inside line and going all the way to hold off the Dane (Photo: Rafa Gomez-Sprint Cycling Agency)

Briefly in his career regarded by the French as ‘the next Bernard Hinault’, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) today on La Vuelta displayed the talents that gained him that reputation as he struck for a racer’s stage win.

From an Irish perspective, Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) finished in the reduced bunch while Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) shipped more time, after earlier finding himself in a group off the back a long way from the finish.

On a very technical drag to the line in Ceres, featuring three late hairpin turns, Gaudu dive-bombed Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) on the final right hander, taking the quickest racing line and gaining momentum. And once he had nudged ahead of the Dane, the hot favourite for the stage win, Gaudu had the legs to hold him off all the way to the line.

He looked delighted and stunned in equal measure as he celebrated with his team mates and team staff after what was an impressive victory; his first win in a World Tour race since claiming a stage win at Critérium du Dauphiné in 2022.

Yesterday’s crash victim and stage winner, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), had to settle for 3rd place today. He couldn’t quite match the sprinting powers of Gaudu and Pedersen, whose Lidl Trek team worked through the stage for the Dane, so confident were they he could win.

The peloton today numbered 70 riders on the line, all credited with the same time as the winner, including Ireland’s Ryan, who was 53rd. Dunbar finished in a group of 20 riders some 10:36 down on the winner.

However, Dunbar is not aiming for the general classification on this race and is, instead, selected to target a stage win and to help the GC ambitions of Australian team mate, Ben O’Connor.

Dunbar had the same role at the Tour de France and was given leeway to go on the attack, as he did on stage 6 to take 4th place. The Irishman also won two stages of this race last year after a slow start.

Once his form is where it needs to be – and he often takes a few days to get going – the time lost today will allow him leeway to go on the attack later in the race, meaning the time lost so far – some 12:00 between today and yesterday – is by no means a disaster.

Vingegaard has retained the race leader’s jersey, which he took yesterday, but is now equal on time with Gaudu. It was a good day for the Dane as he did not seem to be hampered by his crash in the final yesterday.

His race bike was found after it was among those stolen by thieves who targetted the Visma-Lease a Bike team truck in Turin overnight. Visma-Lease a Bike also enjoyed an added bonus today after Lidl Trek stepped up to do much of the work on the front of the bunch to control, then catch, the early breakaway.

The team continued to set the pace in the final in a bid to keep the field together and set-up Pedersen for the win, though Gaudu just about got the better of him today.

The Vuelta continues tomorrow, Tuesday, with a 206.7km stage from Susa to Voiron. There is 3,000m of elevation to be tackled, most of it coming in the shape of three climbs in the first half of the stage, with most of the final 130km a long descent off the final climb – the cat 2 Col du Lautaret – and a flat run to the finish.