After a 184.8-km flat course along the coast, the third stage of the Vuelta ended in a 4.5 km climb, where the favourites for the overall win were able to claim the top spots. Bartosz Huzarski crossed the finish line in 18^th place just 13 seconds behind the day’s winner; Leopold König followed with the second large group in 25^th.

“It was a hard day today, but we can still be satisfied that Bartosz and Leo didn’t lose too much time. The strong wind robbed a lot of riders of their strength and we weren’t in a position to stay out in front on the last few kilometres. Many GC-favorites were among the first to cross the line today - an indication of how difficult the last climb was. Leo was in the second group for a long time, but managed to catch up and make good time nevertheless. We are going into tomorrow’s stage with a good feeling,” said Team NetApp-Endura's Sport Director Enrico Poitschke.

After the start in Vigo, the third stage of the Vuelta led along the Galician coast, moving slightly inland to Valagarcía de Arousa. A six-man breakaway group separated from the bunch early on and was only caught on the last 40 km, after the peloton had set a sizzling pace. The strong crosswind along the coast and a crash led to a large gap in the field, which made it difficult for the riders who followed to catch up again. Individual attacks ensued during the final climb to Mirador de Lobeira, a category 3 climb, in which the American Chris Horner (Radioshack-Leopard) gained a decisive lead 900 metres before the finish and won the stage.