Sanchez wins Romandie stage

Charmey, Switzerland - Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez capped an impressive uphill sprint with victory in the Tour of Romandie third stage on Friday, closing the gap to race leader Bradley Wiggins of Britain.

The versatile Rabobank rider, upstaged by Frenchman Jonathan Hivert in a similar finale on Thursday, timed his effort to perfection to finish ahead of Belgian Gianni Meersman of the Lotto team.

Sanchez is now just 1 second behind Team Sky's Wiggins, who failed to finish in the top ten of the 157.6 km stage from La Neuveville to Charmey.

Leading results from the third stage of Tour de Romandie, a 157.9km ride from La Neuveville to Charmey on Friday:

Stage

1. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) 3h58min 29sec, 2. Gianni Meersman (BEL/LTB) at s.t., 3. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA/AST) s.t., 4. Andrew Talansky (USA/GRM) s.t., 5. Bauke Mollema (NED/RAB) s.t., 6. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/ALM) s.t., 7. Maciej Paterski (POL/LIQ) s.t., 8. Giampaolo Caruso (ITA/KAT) s.t., 9. Gorka Verdugo (ESP/EUS) s.t., 10. Fabrice Jeandesboz (FRA/SAU) s.t., 11. Daniele Pietropolli (ITA/LAM) s.t., 12. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) s.t., 13. Steve Morabito (SUI/BMC) s.t., 14. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EUC) s.t., 15. Manuele Mori (ITA/LAM) s.t.

Selected

22. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) s.t., 36. Chris Anker Sorensen (DEN/SAX) s.t.

Overall

1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 12h40min 31sec, 2. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) at 0:01, 3. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY) 0:07, 4. Bauke Mollema (NED/RAB) 0:09, 5. Stef Clement (NED/RAB) 0:09, 6. Andrew Talansky (USA/GRM) 0:11, 7. Wilco Kelderman (NED/RAB) 0:11, 8. David Zabriskie (USA/GRM) 0:12, 9. Simon Spilak (SLO/KAT) 0:12, 10. Ruben Plaza (ESP/MOV) 0:12, 11. Rui Costa (POR/MOV) 0:13, 12. Tiago Machado (POR/RSH) 0:13, 13. Steve Morabito (SUI/BMC) 0:14, 14. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/MOV) 0:14, 15. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 0:15

Selected

31. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 0:21