FDJ's Nacer Bouhanni followed up his win in the second stage by winning the third stage of the Tour Of Beijing.
Bouhanni had snatched the leaders jersey from Thor Hushovd and was wearing it for the third 176km stage from Yanqing to Qiandiajian, with Thomas De Gendt in polka dots as the King Of The Mountains leader and Allesandro Petacchi in green holding the jersey currently worn by Bouhanni.
Thor Hushvod did not start and went home due to his daughter's illness as Michael Matthews took the first sprint after 17kms and six kilometres later, Damiano Caruso took the five points aon the first King Of The Mountains climb.
Caruso was second behind Wesley Sulzberger on the second climb after 41kms but took the next two climbs after 44kms ands 62kms, and a second place and eight points on the fifth category one climb after 99kms.
Caruso and Sulzberger were now both level on 29 points with Sulzberger in provisional polka dot after taking that category one climb.
Manuele Boaro took the second sprint as the leaders in Hayen Roulston, Marc Goos, Damiano Caruso, Wesley Sulzberger, Albert Timmer and Manuele Boaro, which was a group of six, had a gap of 2.45.
Caruso outsprinted Sulzberger on the penultimate climb but with thirty kilometres to go, Adam Hansen of Lotto attacked, catching the escapers whose lead had been quickly reduced on the descent and then taking the three points at the final sprint.
Hansen rode to a lead of 1.12 but on another day for the sprinters, he was never going to be allowed to get too far away and with 12.4kms to to, Tony Martin of Omega Pharma Quick Step attacked and went away.
Martin was caught with four kilometres to go and this set up a bunch sprint, which saw Nacer Bouhanni come down the left and take the win in 4.08, ahead of Michael Matthews of Orica-GreenEdge, Alexey Tsatevich of Katusha, Elia Viviani of Cannondale and Martin Kohler of BMC.
Bouhanni leads the race as well as the points and Young Rider comeptions by eleven seconds, with Caruso leading the KOM,