Aussie McCarthy takes Basque tour third stage

Valdegovia - Australian Jay McCarthy won Wednesday's third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in a sprint finish, as Julian Alaphilippe retained the race leader's yellow jersey.

Bora-Hansgrohe rider McCarthy launched his dash for the line perfectly at the end of a 184.8-kilometre route between Bormeo and Valdegovia marked by numerous failed breakaway attempts.

The 25-year-old, the victor at January's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, edged out Belarusian Aleksandr Riabushenko with Team Sky's Michal Kwiatkowski claiming third.

France's Alaphilippe, the winner of the opening two stages in Spain, was again in the mix in the closing sprint and remains eight seconds clear of Primoz Roglic in the general classification.

Thursday's stage is a flat 19.4km individual time trial around Lodosa.