Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Dario Cataldo made sure he protected his GC chances in the 154km third stage of Tour de l'Ain, Taking 4th in a group of 10 riders that emerged from an original 23 rider breakaway that had a 15 minute gap at one point.
OPQS teammates Serge Pauwels and Nikolas Maes were also in the large breakaway, and Pauwels also made the 10 rider select group that stayed away with a gap of less than 20" in the final kilometers. Pauwels finished 9th.
Daniel Navarro (Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) won the stage, and while he came into the stage trailing by 12" in the GC, he took over the leader's jersey by winning the stage. Lutsenko (Astana) was 2nd, and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) 3rd.