Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) sprinted to his first stage win in more than a year with a perfectly timed late acceleration on stage three of the Tour of Beijing.
As has been the case in the Red Dragon before, Farrar seized the opportunity to end a largely barren year on a high, sealing his first victory since last year’s Tour de l’Eurometropole and fist on the WorldTour since the 2011 Tour de France.
The American, at his final WorldTour race for Garmin-Sharp before joining MTN-Qhubeka, outsprinted stage one winner Luka Mezgec (Giant-Shimano) to take the day’s honours.
After the previous day’s issues with the smog, there were no such problems and a furious pace set at the start of the race.
The race was still all together at the first intermediate sprint point, with Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) attempting to snatch some bonus seconds only for the sprinters to foil his efforts.
Of the GC men, Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEDGE) ensured he closed the gap to Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) by two seconds, however.
The break was finally established shortly afterwards, with Omega Pharma-Quickstep enjoying a numerical advantage up the road with Michal Golas and Julian Alaphilippe.
Dayer Quintana (Movistar), Julien Berard (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (FDJ) and Karsten Kroon (Tinkoff-Saxo) completed the front group, who steadily built up a lead of four minutes.
BMC Racing hit the front of the bunch to keep them under control, however, with Garmin-Sharp and Giant-Shimano putting men on the front too.
Despite an undulating course, the peloton stayed largely intact with the pace steady in both the break and bunch.
A brief lull in the peloton on the final climb ensured the escapees stayed just shy of two minutes in front as Golas continued sweeping up the mountain points.
Golas briefly earned a gap on the descent but waited for his breakaway companions, while further back a small group was briefly distanced by the peloton.
BMC and Giant-Shimano continued to lead the chase, while Team Sky brought riders forward too, closing in on the escapees.
Berard made a final attempt to stay clear, with Golas and Kroon clinging to his wheel, before riders began to counter-attack behind them.
Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) made the most notable effort, catching and passing the front group with Julian Arredondo (Trek Factory Racing) and Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) in pursuit.
Costa brought the front men back, however, as the fight for position in the bunch intensified.
Petr Vakoc (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) earned a gap with an audacious attack off the front, with Gilbert and Costa among a small group to bridge to the young rider.
They were soon recaptured though as a flurry of action continued in the bunch, Orica-GreenEDGE, Cannondale, Belkin and BMC Racing all in position for their sprinters.
Impey hit the front with Caleb Ewan on his wheel as they passed under the flamme rouge, while Mezgec came forward on the wheel of Reinardt Janse van Rensburg.
Ewan opened his sprint up first, with Farrar still well back at that point, but the American kicked to burst past his rivals just before the line.
Tour of Beijing 2014: stage three – result
1) Tyler Farrar (USA) – Garmin-Sharp – 4.15.46hrs
2) Luka Mezgec (SVN) – Giant-Shimano – ST
3) Nikolas Maes (BEL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4) Moreno Hofland (NED) – Belkin Pro Cycling
5) Maximiliano Richeze (ARG) – Lampre-Merida
6) Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) – Team Sky
7) Danny van Poppel (NED) – Trek Factory Racing
8) Boy van Poppel (NED) – Trek Factory Racing
9) Davide Appollonio (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
10) Caleb Ewan (AUS) – Orica-GreenEDGE
General classification
1) Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – BMC Racing – 11.07.35hrs
2) Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (RSA) – Giant-Shimano +5”
3) Rui Costa (POR) – Lampre-Merida +7”
4) Daryl Impey (RSA) – Orica-GreenEDGE +9”
5) Jesus Herrada (ESP) – Movistar +10”
6) Luka Mezgec (SVN) – Giant-Shimano +11”
7) Pieter Serry (BEL) – Omega Pharma-Quickstep – ST
8) Sergey Chernetckii (RUS) – Katusha
9) Mikael Cherel (FRA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale
10) Warren Barguil (FRA) – Giant-Shimano
