Bennett outmuscles sprint stars to win stage

Chalon-sur-Sane - Ireland's Sam Bennett stunned the top sprinters to win the third stage of the Paris-Nice race on Tuesday for the biggest victory of his career.

The 26-year-old Bora rider held off Norway's Alexander Kristoff and German pair John Degenkolb and Marcel Kittel in the dash to the line at the end of the 190km stage from Chablis to Chalon-sur-Saone.

"It's my first victory at this level and I'm very proud," said Bennett, whose father Michael was a professional footballer.

"As a sprinter I think I've got the speed but I don't have the greatest amount of power," he added.

"Usually I'm more at home on a lumpy stage (where pure sprinters might struggle)."

France's Arnaud Demare came in sixth and held on to the leader's yellow jersey.

A breakaway group comprising French pair Romain Combaud and Pierre Latour, alongside American Ben King, came agonisingly close to battling out the victory.

But having escaped inside the first kilometre, they were caught in the very last one by a charging peloton led by the sprinters' teams.

Wednesday's fourth stage is a 14.5km individual time-trial from Beaujeu to Mont Brouilly, finishing with a tough 3km climb to the finish at an average 7.7 percent gradient.

Demare is not expecting to keep the yellow jersey.

"I've got better at time-trials but the final climb doesn't suit me," he said.

"In any case, I'll give it everything, you have to honour the yellow jersey."

Results from the 190km third stage of Paris-Nice from Chablis to Chalon-sur-Saone on Tuesday:

1. Sam Bennett (IRL/Bora) 4hr 31min 14sec, 2. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) same time, 3. John Degenkolb (GER/TRE) s.t., 4. Marcel Kittel (GER/QST) s.t., 5. Michael Matthews (AUS/ORI) m.t., 6. Arnaud Demare (FRA/FDJ) s.t., 7. Andre Greipel (GER/LOT) s.t., 8. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) s.t., 9. Kristian Sbaragli (ITA/DDT) s.t., 10. Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN/ORI) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Arnaud Demare (FRA/FDJ) 12hr 14min 42sec, 2. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/ETI) at 6sec, 3. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/KAT) 13, 4. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/ETI) 17, 5. Tony Gallopin (FRA/LOT) 19, 6. Romain Hardy (FRA/FVC) 21, 7. Sergio Henao (COL/SKY) 23, 8. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) s.t., 9. Daniel Martin (IRL/ETI) s.t., 10. Kristjan Koren (SLO/CAN) 31

Selected others

14. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS/KAT) 1:01, 21. Alberto Contador (ESP/TRE) 1:18