Tour de Luxembourg stage 3 results | Mattias Skjelmose takes victory on brutal cobbled climb as GC erupts

Lidl-Trek has succeeded today at the Tour de Luxembourg as Mattias Skjelmose rode to victory on stage 3, the most difficult of days in the race - on the eve of the decisive time-trial.

The third day of racing was the toughest of stages and the one where the climbing was expected to make the most difference. In the day's breakaway we've had Thomas Gachinard, Simon Gugliemi, Adne Holter, Silvan Dillier, Henri-François Renard-Haquin, Victor Papon and Joshua Gudnitz. The group would begin to split as the riders entered the three-lap circuit that featured a tough climb of 2.8 kilometers at 9.3%.

With 34 kilometers to go the serious attacks would begin with Ben Healy stirring the action, whilst Romain Grégoire was surprisingly dropped from the main group. A group of 9 riders built an advantage in the final of the ascents, joined later on by three other riders from behind including Marc Hirschi who would go on the offensive with 6 kilometers to go. Lidl-Trek and UAE, both with more than one rider present at the front, tried to control the Swiss rider's attack, which was not easy but was successful.

Hirschi was only caught in the very steep and cobbled final ascent to the line in Vianden, where Brandon McNulty pushed the pace in the chasing group, catching Hirschi, but Mattias Skjelmose had the most power in the legs over the final meters of the stage, bringing in the victory ahead of Jordan Jegat and McNulty. Skjelmose is also the new leader of the race.