The Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto) won, Monday, August 31, the 3rd stage of the Tour de France, 198 km long between Nice and Sisteron, at the end of which the French Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep), winner of the 2nd stage, kept the yellow jersey.

In a sprint against the wind, Caleb Ewan appeared in the last few meters to overtake Irishman Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quickstep) by one wheel.

The European champion, the Italian Giacomo Nizzolo, took third place in this 198-kilometer transition stage which saw the Tour leave its launch pad in Nice to reach the Citadel of Sisteron, in Haute-Provence.

"I still had enough in my legs to do the sprint"

At 26, Caleb Ewan scored on day three.

Last year, the "Aussie", a 1.65m sprinter, won three stages in the second half of the Tour, for his first participation.

"We lost guys in the team," said Caleb Ewan, whose Lotto team was diminished from day one by the delay of the German John Degenkolb and the retirement the next morning of the Belgian Philippe Gilbert. (fractured patella).

"We knew that if everything went well, we could win today," added the winner of the day.

I still had enough in my legs to do the sprint.

I had to find the right line to pick up speed.

Here's a detailed look at @ CalebEwan's incredible sprint as he took the stage win in Sisteron 🔎



Relive, from above, Caleb Ewan's incredible slalom to win Sisteron.

🔎 # TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/nVuWjyG4hB

- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) August 31, 2020

The adventure of Jérôme Cousin

The stage was essentially reduced to its final and to the long adventure of Jérôme Cousin, who started at the front from the start of the race with two other Frenchmen, Anthony Perez and Benoît Cosnefroy fighting for the jersey. polka dot best climber.

This three-way run, troubled by an impromptu storm, turned into a solitary escape after 70 kilometers and obtaining points in the first two coasts listed by Perez to the detriment of Cosnefroy.

The two then let Jérôme Cousin go scouting, for a long outing on the Napoleon road, once taken by the Emperor on his return from Elba Island.

This time, in the totally unbalanced match that opposed him to the peloton, Jérôme Cousin was unable to redo the coup of Paris-Nice 2018. In Sisteron, already, he had successfully completed a breakaway with the German Nils Politt.

⏮️ Paris-Nice held a finish in Sisteron in 2018 where a certain @CousinJerom won in a breakaway!



⏮️ In 2018, @ParisNice had already arrived in Sisteron ... For Jérôme Cousin's breakaway victory! # TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/Z6T9AhA2i9

- Tour de France ™ (@LeTour) August 31, 2020

For his part, Perez, in the process of seizing the polka dot jersey, was unable to reach the city of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

The Aixois was forced to retire, after a fall due to a collision with a team car which had braked in front of him, according to his Cofidis training.

Fractured rib with possible pneumothorax according to a first diagnosis, he was transported to the hospital of Digne-les-Bains.

Jérôme Cousin's "solo" ended 16 kilometers from the finish, before the sprinters' teams entered into action.

The fourth stage, 160.5 kilometers long between Sisteron and Orcières-Merlette (Hautes-Alpes), marks the first arrival at the top of the event.

With AFP

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