Ineos Grenadiers rider Andrew ‘AJ’ August outgunned his breakaway rivals, and the peloton bearing down on them, to win stage three of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana for what was his first professional victory.
The 20-year-old followed three other attackers in the final kilometres of the 158km stage to San Vincente del Raspeig, having already helped bring a different break back in the service of his team’s sprinter Ben Turner.
The result sees Girmay preserve the lead he took on general classification on the first day, with August’s breakaway companion Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) jumping 53 places to slot into second ahead of third placed Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
The race continues on Saturday with a lumpy, 172km outing from La Nucía to Teulada Moraira, and finishes on Friday in Valencia.
