Danish rider Mads Pedersen, the 2019 world champion, won a sprint finish to take the third stage of the Paris-Nice. 

Christophe Laporte of Jumbo kept hold of the leader's yellow jersey despite suffering a fall in the last few hundred metres in Dun-le-Palestel. Trek rider Pedersen, 26, held off Frenchman Bryan Coquard and Wout van Aert from Belgium. 

Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen, who won Monday's second stage, was dropped by the peloton led by Laporte's teammates 20 kilometres from the finish. Wednesday's stage is a 13.4-kilometre time trial from Domerat to Montlucon culminating in a steep finish.