Sam Bennett wins at La Butte de Montaigu and consolidates his overall classification lead. An incredible performance by the Irish Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider in the third stage of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, the Tiercé-Hambers (La Butte de Montaigu) with an uphill finish. Bennett was the protagonist of a crazy finale, pushing himself to his limits at the uphill finish where he overtook German Henri Uhlig (Alpecin Deceuninck) and French rider Ewen Costiou from Arbea B&B Hotels.

The race came alive especially in the final kilometers with Vincent Bodet's (Team Picnic PostNL) attack, which was caught 13 km from the finish by an explosive Vauquelin who broke away with a group of about a dozen riders, including overall classification leader Sam Bennett. The finale was characterized by attacks and counterattacks with Cavagna, Latour, Delettre, Van Der Tuuk, Thomas, and Papon being among the most active. Eventually, all were brought back.

STAGE RESULTS

1 BENNETT Sam Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 03:55:14

2 UHLIG Henri Alpecin-Deceuninck + 00

3 COSTIOU Ewen ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 00

4 VAUQUELIN Kévin ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 00

5 DELETTRE Alexandre Team TotalEnergies + 00

6 LOOCKX Lander Unibet Tietema Rockets + 00

7 JEANNIÈRE Emilien Team TotalEnergies + 00

8 BREUILLARD Nicolas St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 + 00

9 COQUARD Bryan Cofidis + 00

10 GEENS Jonas Team Flanders-Baloise + 00

11 MARIAULT Axel CIC U Nantes + 00

12 FERRON Valentin Cofidis + 00

13 SHAW James EF Education-EasyPost + 00

14 LEKNESSUND Andreas Uno-X Mobility + 00

15 JARNET Maxime Van Rysel-Roubaix + 06

16 KOPECKY Matyas Team Novo Nordisk + 06

17 TONELLI Alessandro Team Polti VisitMalta + 10

18 VILLA Giacomo Wagner Bazin WB + 10

19 MAISONOBE Sam Cofidis + 10

20 THOMAS Benjamin Cofidis + 10

21 MERIS Sergio Unibet Tietema Rockets + 12

22 GUERNALEC Victor ARKEA-B&B HOTELS + 12

23 PEDERSEN Henrik Uno-X Mobility + 16

24 LØLAND Sakarias Koller Uno-X Mobility + 16

25 DELACROIX Théo St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 + 16