Tour Down Under | Javier Romo takes stunning solo win on stage 3; Williams loses time

Movistar have taken an important win to open up the year. Stage 3 of the Tour Down Under has seen Javier Romo take a solo victory that propels him into the race lead, after an all-out battle on the climb led to a downhill attack deciding the outcome of the day.

KOM classification leader Fergus Browning and Geoffrey Bouchard attacked on the uphill start to the day forming the breakaway, the latter would be the last survivor of the day, getting caught with just over 30 kilometers to go. It wouldn't be a very calm day in the peloton with a crash affecting defending champion Stephen Williams, whilst Ide Schelling also had a bad fall... The likes of Sam Welsford amd Phil Bauhaus were dropped in the penultimate ascent of Knotts Hill.

On the first ascent Juan Pedro López was again looking to make a move but with no success this time around, this would then be left to the final lap. INEOS Grenadiers entered the climb well after a very technical climb, and right from the base we saw Jay Vine hit the front as the main favourites faced off.

With 7.4 kilometers to go Michal Kwiatkowski attacked off the front with Rémi Rochas following, Caught with 7.1 to go, it was Afonso Eulálio who moved in the Jayco-led group... Rochas would go on the attack again with 5.8 kilometers to go, going over the top of the climb alone, but was caught over the summit.

With 4.8 to go Javier Romo attacked and got a dangerous gap, as just as it was warned, an attack in the downhill would be almost impossible to close with a reduced group. Despite having five riders, Lidl-Trek did not fully commit to chase the lone Spaniard; attacks from Chris Harper and Oscar Onley saw Romo come close to getting caught but the Movistar Team rider had the legs to finish it off, taking a brilliant victory and the race lead as a consequence.

Jhonatan Narváez sprinted to second place, obtaining important bonus seconds, whilst Finn Fisher-Black sprinted to third place.