Results Vuelta a Andalucia 2026 Stage 3 | Milan Fretin edges Penhoet & Laporte dramatic photo finish sprint

Milan Fretin powered to victory on Stage 3 of the Vuelta a Andalucia, emerging from a high-speed bunch sprint in Lopera after the longest day of the race resolved into a compact and controlled finale.

The 180.9 kilometre stage from Jaen had been animated for much of the afternoon by an early four rider breakaway featuring Josh Burnett, Nicolas Alustiza, Giosue Epis and Samuel Florez. The quartet built an advantage approaching three minutes across the opening half of the stage, with Burnett claiming maximum points on Alto Santa Ana and Alto de Penallana to strengthen his position in the mountains classification.

Behind, however, the tone gradually shifted.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Uno X Mobility steadily increased the tempo through the second half of the stage, reducing the gap from over two minutes to just 15 seconds with 15 kilometres remaining as the peloton approached the final climb of Porcuna.

The ascent of Porcuna, 2.5 kilometres at 3.6 per cent and cresting 12.9 kilometres from the finish, did not produce significant separation. The peloton remained compact over the to,p and the four leaders were swept up shortly afterwards as the pace intensified.

From there, the stage transitioned fully into sprint mode. The bunch stretched under sustained speed, but no decisive splits emerged. Inside the final kilometre, Team Visma | Lease a Bike moved three riders to the front to set up Christophe Laporte, who launched his sprint from near the head of the peloton. Fretin proved faster.

The Cofidis rider surged past in a close finish to claim the stage win, denying Laporte and Paul Penhoet in a tight photo finish.

Ivan Romeo, who had started the day with a seven-second advantage over Andreas Leknessund in the general classification, finished safely in the bunch as the overall standings remained intact following a stage that had threatened selection but ultimately delivered a full-speed sprint.

Stage 3 shed its early breakaway script and concluded with a compact run-in, as Fretin capitalised on the work of others to secure victory on the longest stage of this year’s race.