Sam Bennett wins Vuelta Stage 3, Nicolas Roche keeps overall lead

Sam Bennett  of Bora -Hansgrohe has won Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana in Alicante this afternoon, and on a day to remember for Irish cycling fans, Team Sunweb's Nicolas Roche retains the race leader's red jersey.

Irish national champion Bennett – a three-time Grand Tour stage winner at last year’s Giro d’Italia – opened his account in the Spanish race by convincingly beating Trek-Segafredo’s Edward Theuns and Luka Mezgec of Mitchelton-Scott to the line.

Missing from the sprint battle at the end of the 188-kilometre stage from Ciudad del Juguete was UAE Team Emirates rider Fernando Gaviria – who with a win over the next three weeks would become the 99th rider to win stages at all three Grand Tours – but is suffering the after-effects of a crash on Saturday’s team time trial.

Tomorrow's fourth stage of the race covers 175.5 kilometres from Cullera to El Puig, near Valencia, and should give another chance to the sprinters, with Bennett looking to take the points jersey off Movistar's Nairo Quintana, winner of yesterday's Stage 2.

The pair each have 25 points, but the Colombian keeps the jersey ahead of the Irishman on countback.