Stage 3 had been billed as potentially the toughest stage in the history of the Tour Down Under - but while it gave a clearer picture of the overall contenders, it still couldn't cause major gaps at the top of the standings, with at least 18 riders remaining in contention.
Javier Romo (Movistar) carved out a five-second gap at the line with his solo winning attack, and together with a 10-second time bonus, shot to the top of the overall standings and into the ochre jersey. However, Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) remains a close threat and is just behind at eight seconds.
