After two stage podiums last year, Bevin ended up winning on the French-speaking roads by surprising Englishman Ethan Hayter, double winner since the start of the event, with a long sprint.
"I told myself that I had to try my luck, that it would be a sprint in a reduced committee with heavy legs", explained to Eurosport Patrick Bevin, recent winner of the Tour of Turkey.
"I knew I was one of the fastest guys still around."
Rohan Dennis consolidated his leader's jersey by taking third place and gaining four bonus seconds on the eve of the queen stage arriving in Zinal on Saturday.
The 165 km hilly loop around Valbroye on Friday was animated by a long-distance breakaway with two regular Frenchmen, the French champion Rémi Cavagna and Nans Peters, accompanied by the Latvian Krists Neilands.
The trio was taken over about fifteen kilometers from the finish by a group of about fifty riders regulated by Bevin who signed his ninth success at 31 years old.
Place Saturday for the explanation between climbers and favorites: more than 4,100 meters of elevation gain await the riders in the fourth stage between Aigle and the arrival at the summit in Zinal.
Before Sunday a final time trial of 16 km uphill towards the resort of Villars.
© 2022 AFP