Dan Martin (Etixx-Quick Step) took his second win of the season, timing his attack on La Molina just right to hold off the stellar list of climbers at the Volta a Catalunya.
The Irish rider shot past the attacking Nairo Quintana (Movistar) with around 200m to go and built up a big enough gap to see off the likes of Alberto Contador and Romain Bardet.
The majority of the action was saved for the final climb of the day to the ski resort of La Molina, where Pieter Weening (Roompot-Oranje Peloton) rode alone off the front.
Louis Vervaeke (Lotto-Soudal) passed Weening at the 8km to go mark, but his attack never looked likely to last and the peloton led by Team Sky passed him with 4km left.
With an elite group at the front several attacks were laid down by the sport’s best climbers. Contador had a short dig, followed by Quintana and then Richie Porte.
Quintana had a final go but Martin surged past him on the steepest part of the climb and held his lead to the finish.
With two wins in 2016, Martin now has the same number of victories as he accumulated with the Garmin team in the previous two years.
Nacer Bouhanni, who wore the leader’s jersey after winning the first two stages, abandoned the race on stage three, as did Giant-Alpecin’s Tom Dumoulin.
Volta a Catalunya stage three, Girona – La Molina (172km)
1. Dan Martin (Ire) Etixx-Quick Step, 5-00-27
2. Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, st
3. Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, st
4. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC, st
5. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC, at 9s
6. Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale, at 11s
7. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, at 12s
8. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, st
9. Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural, at 18s
10. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale, st
Overall standings after stage three
1. Dan Martin (Ire) Etixx-Quick Step, 14-08-18
2. Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff, at 6s
3. Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, at 8s
4. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC, at 12s
5. Richie Porte (Aus) BMC, at 19s
6. Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale, at 21s
7 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky, at 22s
8. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, st
9. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky, at 28s
10. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale, st
