Results Volta a Comunitat Valenciana 2026 Stage 3 | Glory for INEOS as Andrew August outlasts late chase to win after chaotic downhill finale

Stage 3 of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana was decided by a daring late move and a nervy run to the line, as Andrew August held off a charging peloton to claim his first professional stage victory.

What had started as a fast transition day along the Costa Blanca was transformed at the Puerto de Tibi, where the breakaway finally fractured and the general classification contenders turned the race inside out with a barrage of attacks.

The early escape, which had built an advantage of more than three minutes, began to disintegrate under sustained pressure from Red Bull BORA hansgrohe and INEOS Grenadiers. On the climb itself, Raul Garcia Pierna made the most of his day out front by taking the mountain points and three bonus seconds, briefly moving to within four seconds of race leader Biniam Girmay on virtual GC.

Behind, the peloton crested largely together, with Girmay well positioned and sheltered as the race tipped into a fast, technical descent back towards the coast.

The calm did not last long. A series of sharp accelerations on the plateau and descent saw the peloton stretch into a single line, with Remco Evenepoel, Brandon McNulty and Aleksandr Vlasov all active as teams tested one another.

The decisive move came when Florian Vermeersch committed fully on the descent, opening a small but crucial gap. August reacted immediately, with Adne Holter and Jonathan Vervenne bridging across to form a four-man lead group.

With ten kilometres to go, the quartet held a slender advantage of around twenty seconds. NSN Cycling organised the chase behind in an attempt to force a reduced sprint for Girmay, but the terrain offered little respite and cooperation at the front remained strong despite Holter’s late acceleration to try and force a selection.

Inside the final kilometre, the gap was still hovering in the low double digits. Vervenne attempted to stretch the group with one last surge, but August timed his effort perfectly, launching his sprint from the front and holding off his companions as the peloton closed rapidly behind.

August crossed the line just seconds clear, sealing a hard-earned victory from a move that looked fragile until the very end, while the main bunch arrived shortly afterwards to underline just how finely balanced the finale had been.

After a day of relentless pressure, attacks and a decisive downhill gamble, Stage 3 delivered a result shaped as much by courage as by raw speed, with August emerging as the rider willing to commit when the race was on a knife-edge.