Région Pays de la Loire Tour: Alberto Dainese wins stage 3

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.

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