Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) accelerated late to win stage three of the Tour Down Under and move into the ochre jersey.

Dennis and team-mate Cadel Evans sealed a BMC Racing one-two after foiling a leading group of four riders as they crested the Paracombe climb in sight of the finish line.

All attention had been on the battle between Evans and Richie Porte (Team Sky) at the front of the race, but as the pace in the leading group dropped it was Evans’ team-mate who spotted the opportunity and seized victory.

Evans sprinted into second place ahead of Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) – three seconds behind his team-mate – to gain two seconds on Porte, and Dennis insists the veteran remains team leader in his final WorldTour race.

For now, however, and despite admitting he had been unable to go with the original team plan of attacking at the start of the final climb, Dennis will replace Jack Bobridge (UniSA-Australia) as race leader in perhaps a rehearsal for their respective forthcoming UCI Hour Record attempts.

Despite a rolling start to the race, the pace from the flag was high with Will Clarke (Drapac) among the riders looking to ignite the race.

His initial efforts to break clear were shut down, with Team Sky leading the peloton, but he was eventually given license to attack in a four-man move.

The Australian, a former stage winner in his home country, was joined by Axel Domont (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Lasse Norman Hansen (Cannondale-Garmin) and Calvin Watson (Trek Factory Racing) – the latter fresh from his late breakaway attempt on stage two.

In the peloton, Team Sky remained in control on the front, with UniSA-Australia and Movistar also lending firepower to the chase.

Clarke swept up the intermediate sprint points in the break, with the gap never more than manageable for the peloton.

Domont was the first to crack, with more than 30km to ride, but the remaining three managed to hold on to their 2’30” advantage as the final climb drew ever closer.

As the Adelaide sun began to play its part, however, the gap soon started to fall – with Hansen next to sit up, and the Australian duo soon following suit.

Giant-Alpecin put the hurt on at the front of the peloton, while Team Sky gathered on the opposite side of the road and the other big teams fought for position behind them.

Race leader Bobridge remained near the front on the penultimate, unclassified ascent while Michael Schar (BMC Racing) brought Evans forward.

As they crested the climb, Clarke remained the only man up the road – holding a 30-second advantage – as Giant-Alpecin led the peloton into the Cudlee Creek descent.

Marcel Kittel put in a big shift for his team-mates, while Team Sky, Orica-GreenEDGE and BMC Racing also featuring at the sharp end.

Clarke was finally caught with exactly eight kilometres to race as the pace really ramped up for the fight for position ahead of the final climb.

Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling), in the Australian champion’s jersey, also came forward on the narrow, twisting roads with the fight for position really heating up.

A frantic pace on the front ensued, with Evans and Porte among those desperate to stay at the sharp end – their two teams shadowing each other’s every move.

Bobridge, however, found himself back in the peloton as they approached the final turn onto the climb – Schar delivering Evans to perfection on the front.

Porte had Geraint Thomas for company, while Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEDGE) tried to get in on the act too.

Simon Geschke (Giant-Alpecin) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale) were also at the front, with Dumoulin in pursuit as Porte accelerated.

Pozzovivo accelerated under the flamme rouge, with Geschke dropping back as a small gap formed behind the four leaders.

Dennis, meanwhile, sat near the front of the peloton, bridging to the four front men to take first the King of the Mountains points and then accelerate hard into the sprint.

The Australian’s acceleration saw him open up a huge gap on the other leaders as he sprinted into the ochre jersey.

Evans’ also accelerated again – after first ensuring Porte was kept in check – passing Dumoulin in sight of the line to seal a BMC Racing one-two and put the Australian duo firmly in control of the overall.

Porte, Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Pozzovivo all rolled in together two seconds later, in a small group which was led over the finish line by Maxime Bouet (Etixx-QuickStep).

For BMC Racing – down a man after Campbell Flakemore broke his collarbone in a crash after stage two – it was the perfect response however.

And, while their team meeting will be an interesting one ahead of stage four, it is they who are in control of the ochre jersey.

Tour Down Under 2015: stage three – result

1) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing – 3.35.08hrs
2) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing +3”
3) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin – ST
4) Maxime Bouet (FRA) – Etixx-QuickStep +5”
5) Michael Rogers (AUS) – Tinkoff-Saxo – ST
6) Richie Porte (AUS) – Team Sky
7) Jack Haig (AUS) – UniSA-Australia
8) Ruben Fernandez (ESP) – Movistar
9) Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
10) Simon Geschke (GER) – Giant-Alpecin +13”

General classification

1) Rohan Dennis (AUS) – BMC Racing – 10.17.06hrs
2) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing +7”
3) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Giant-Alpecin +9”
4) Richie Porte (AUS) – Team Sky +15”
5) Jack Haig (AUS) – UniSA-Australia – ST
6) Ruben Fernandez (ESP) – Movistar
7) Michael Rogers (AUS) – Tinkoff-Saxo
8) Maxime Bouet (FRA) – Etixx-QuickStep
9) Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
10) Daryl Impey (RSA) – Orica-GreenEDGE +22”