Axel Laurance claimed victory on stage three of the Tour of the Basque Country on Wednesday after edging Igor Arrieta in a late two-man battle.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider finished two seconds ahead of Arrieta, with Natnael Tesfatsion taking third place, 14 seconds behind, after the 152.8-kilometer loop starting and ending in Basauri.

Laurance and Arrieta made their decisive move on the category-two climb of Bikotx-Gane and remained locked together until the final moments.

The Frenchman surged clear in the final 200 meters to secure the stage win.

Riders raced in unusually warm conditions, with temperatures exceeding 28 degrees Celsius.

Paul Seixas Holds Basque Tour Overall Lead

Overall leader Paul Seixas retained his advantage of 1 minute 59 seconds after dominating the opening two stages.

Primož Roglič remains second in the general classification, with Florian Lipowitz in third at 2 minutes 8 seconds.

Isaac Del Toro, one of Seixas' main rivals, abandoned the race after crashing with 74 kilometers remaining.

The Mexican rider, a teammate of Tadej Pogacar and Arrieta at UAE Team Emirates, appeared to suffer injuries to his hand and leg.

A 14-man breakaway formed earlier in the stage and built a lead of 1 minute 20 seconds before being reeled in on the final climbs.

Stage four will feature a 167.2-kilometer loop around Galdakao, including a coastal section to the northeast of Bilbao.