Kittel opened up his sprint in the middle of the road, but Bennett took Kristoff’s wheel on the far side, and came inside the Norwegian with a powerful kick.
The move was enough to give the Irishman breathing space and he comfortably held off his nearest challengers to bag Ireland’s first victory of the season.
Arnaud Demare (FDJ) finished sixth, and consequently keeps the yellow jersey for now, but that should all change on stage four with a time trial on Mont Brouilly, before the attention switches to the climbers – or at least those still in contention after the crosswinds of days one and two.
Paris-Nice 2017: stage three – result
1) Sam Bennett (IRL) – Bora-hansgrohe – 4.31.14hrs
2) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – Katusha-Alpecin – ST
3) John Degenkolb (GER) – Trek-Segafredo
4) Marcel Kittel (GER) – QuickStep Floors
5) Michael Matthews (AUS) – Team Sunweb
6) Arnaud Demare (FRA) – FDJ
7) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Soudal
8) Christophe Laporte (FRA) – Cofidis
9) Kristian Sparagli (ITA) – Dimension Data
10) Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN) – Orica-Scott
General classification
1) Arnaud Demare (FRA) – FDJ – 12.14.42hrs
2) Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) – QuickStep Floors +6”
3) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – Katusha-Alpecin +13”
4) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – QuickStep Floors +17”
5) Tony Gallopin (FRA) – Lotto-Soudal +19”
6) Romain Hardy (FRA) – Fortuneo-Vital Concept +21”
7) Sergio Henao (COL) – Team Sky +23”
8) Rudy Molard (FRA) – FDJ – ST
9) Daniel Martin (IRL) – QuickStep Floors
10) Kristijan Koren (SVN) – Cannondale-Drapac +31”
