Gerrans grabs stage, overall lead

Adelaide - Australia's Simon Gerrans took out a dramatic sprint finish in the third stage of the Tour Down Under in the South Australian town of Campbelltown on Thursday.

The Orica GreenEdge rider pipped fellow Australian Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) on the finish line of the 139km stage with a time of 3:37.34.

The stage win for the 35-year-old Victorian came a day after he was caught up in a mass pile-up inside the final kilometre, just moments after easing into a perfect position.

The win means Gerrans wears the ochre leader's jersey on Friday's 138-kilometre fourth stage from Norwood to the coastal town of Victor Harbor.

Gerrans said the downhill finish "felt like we had to take our lives in our hands in the final".

"There was a big crash on the final. There was a big crash on the gorge, hairy moments on the decent of the Corkscrew (Road).

"I'm thrilled to have won the stage, but there was risk involved."

In third place was Canadian Michael Woods (Cannondale), followed by Wednesday's race leader Jay McCarthy (Tinkoff) from Australia and Switzerland's Steve Morabito (FDJ). The top 10 all finished with the same time.

American rider Tyler Farrar (Dimension Data) completed the stage on a spectator's bike after a crash, organisers said.

Results after the 139km third stage of the UCI Tour Down Under from Glenelg to Campbelltown in South Australia on Thursday:

1. Simon Gerrans (AUS/Orica Greenedge) 3hr 37min 34sec

2. Rohan Dennis (AUS/BMC Racing) same time

3. Michael Woods (CAN/Cannondale) s.t.

4. Jay McCarthy (AUS/Tinkoff) s.t.

5. Steve Morabito (SUI/FDJ) s.t.

6. Rafael Valls Ferri (ESP/Lampre-Merida) s.t.

7. Sergio Henao (COL/Team Sky) s.t.

8. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/AG2R La Mondiale) s.t.

9. Richie Porte (AUS/BMC Racing) s.t.

10. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (ESP/Movistar) s.t.

General Classification

1. Simon Gerrans (AUS/Orica Greenedge) 10hr 28min 12sec

2. Jay McCarthy (AUS/Tinkoff) at 3 seconds

3. Rohan Dennis (AUS/BMC Racing) +5sec

4. Michael Woods (CAN/Cannondale) + 11sec

5. Sergio Henao (COL/Team Sky) + 15sec

6. Rafael Valls Ferri (ESP/Lotto-Soudal) s.t.

7. Ruben Fernandez Andujar (ESP/Movistar) s.t.

8. Steve Morabito (SUI/FDJ) s.t.

9. Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA/AG2R La Mondiale) s.t.

10. Richie Porte (AUS/BMC Racing) s.t.

King of the Mountain

1. Sergio Henao (COL/Team Sky) 16 pts

2. Michael Woods (CAN/Cannondale) 12 pts

3. Manuele Boaro (ITA/Tinkoff) 10 pts

Sprint

1. Jay McCarthy (AUS/Tinkoff) 31 pts

2. Rohan Dennis (AUS/BMC Racing) 27 pts

3. Simon Gerrans (AUS/Orica Greenedge) 23 pts