Jalabert sprints to stage win

Jalabert rejoices in his third-stage victory

Click here for third stage result and overall standings

Larent Jalabert got the better of fellow Frenchman Didier Rous in the final sprint to claim the third stage of the Paris-Nice on Wednesday.

Rous had no answer to Jalabert's acceleration at the end of the 91.5-mile course that began and ended in Saint-Etienne, in south-eastern France.

However, Rous' second-placing was enough to propel him into the overall lead.

The Bonjour rider supplants Italian Alessandro Petacchi, who was the race leader after the first two stages.

Rous holds a two-second lead over Jalabert, riding for CSC Tiscali, with Spain's Javier Pascual-Rodriguez a further 18 seconds back in third.

Thursday's fourth stage runs from Pertuis to Toulon and covers 108.5 miles.

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Results from the third stage of the Paris-Nice race:

1 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC-Tiscali three hours 59 minutes 29 seconds (10 seconds bonus points)
2 Didier Rous (Fra) Bonjour (six seconds bonus)
3 Aitor Osa (Spa) Ibanesto.com (four seconds) both same time
4 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 10 seconds behind
5 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis same time
6 Alexandre Vinokurov (Kaz) Deutsche Telekom same time
7 Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Tacconi-Vini Caldirola same time
8 Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Alessio same time
9 Dario Frigo (Ita) Tacconi-Vini Caldirola same time
10 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel same time

Paris-Nice overall standings:

1 Rous 13:11:13
2 Jalabert at two seconds
3 Javier Pascual-Rodriguez (Spa) Ibanesto.com at 20 seconds
4. Juan Carlos Dominguez (Spa) Phonak
5. Andreas Kloeden (Ger) Deutsche Telekom both same time
6 Frigo at 21 seconds
7 Alex Zuelle (Swi) Team Coast same time
8 Inigo Cuesta (Spa) Cofidis at 22 seconds
9 Osa at 24 seconds
10.Angel Vicioso (Spa) Kelme-Costa Blanca at 25 seconds

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