The stage win was determined by the finishing time of each team’s first rider. However, the actual riding time of every professional counted towards the overall standings. This format will also be used for the team time trial at the Tour de France opener on 4 July, offering some tactical possibilities. Ayuso crossed the line on Tuesday after a strong final sprint, finishing well ahead of his teammates, including Lennard Kamna, making Lidl’s tactics pay off.
Third place went to Team Decathlon, ahead of Jumbo-Visma, which includes two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard. The second German team, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, finished fifth, while the star-studded UAE Team Emirates-XRG, featuring German classics specialist Nils Politt, could only manage sixth place.
Small gaps in the overall standings
In the overall classification, Ineos riders Kevin Vauquelin (France/+2 seconds) and Onley (Great Britain/+3) are close behind Ayuso. Vingegaard sits in seventh place (+17).
The fourth stage on Wednesday, featuring around 2,500 meters of elevation, is the toughest so far and will be decided with a summit finish after 195 km in Uchon. However, the climb, averaging 4.5% over 4.5 km, is not particularly selective. The stage race concludes in Nice on 15 March.