Team Sky's Simon Gerrans produced a storming display to finish third on stage three of the Vuelta a Andalucía, but it was Óscar Freire who took the plaudits once again as he claimed his second victory in as many days.

Gerrans, who claimed stage victories last year in both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, was ably led out by his team-mates and stepped things up brilliantly in the bunch sprint to secure his place on the podium in what is his first race of the season.

"I didn't come to this race with high expectations so to achieve a third placing today is a good result," posted Gerrans on his website www.simongerrans.com.

"It was a tough uphill finish into a head wind, which suited me quite well. Hendy and the boys did a great job getting me up there for the finish."

For all Gerrans' best efforts however, Rabobank rider Freire proved unbeatable once again as he pipped Lampre's Grega Bole at the finish line.

Stage one winner Sergio Pardilla Bellón (Carmiooro NGC) also finished in the main bunch and that ensured he retained his lead in the overall classification, with Team Sky's Thomas Löfkvist 31 seconds behind the Spaniard in eighth.

Early attack

Barely five kilometres of the mountainous route had been covered before Brice Feillu (Vacansoleil) and José Angel Gomez Marchante (Andalucía-Cajasur) broke away on the very first climb of the day, and the duo built up a four-minute lead over the rapid succession of ascents that followed.

That lead had been gradually cut back to around two minutes by the time the duo crossed the final summit on the Puerto de Ojen, and the peloton was eventually brought back together with approximately 20 kilometres to go.

As the route reached its destination in Benahavis the rain started to fall, but not enough to significantly affect the conditions, as Freire powered ahead of his rivals to take the chequered flag.