South African Daryl Impey has picked up further bonus seconds with a second place on stage three of the Tour des Fjords, moving the 30-year-old up into second position overall.

Today’s result compliments Impey’s third place on stage one, whilst ahead, Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) made it three from three with another stage victory.

It was an animated stage as an ORICA-GreenEDGE attack saw the peloton in five pieces early before a subsequent four-rider move went away, including Danish neo-pro Magnus Cort.

“The team rode really well,” sport director Matt Wilson said. “We wanted to try and really hurt Kristoff’s team and put them under pressure so he would have less teammates in the final.

“We managed to put four guys in the first split. Adam Yates did a really strong turn going into a hard uphill tunnel and managed to split the bunch up.

“We drove it for about 30km and really had Katusha on the back foot. They had to chase really hard, unfortunately it did come back but then Magnus made the next move, which was great.”

It was quite hectic start to the third stage of Tour des Fjords as attacks caused many splits in the peloton, which at one point was in five groups on the road.

ORICA-GreenEDGE was well positioned in the action with Impey, Yates, Christian Meier and Damien Howson all present in the front group of around 15 riders.

But riding for race leader and winner of the first two stages Alexander Kristoff, Team Katusha put in the hard yards and brought the race all back together.

A secondary move of four riders, including Danish neo-pro Magnus Cort, broke free before Michael Valgren (Tinkoff – Saxo) attacked it from within to go solo.

Trek Factory Racing assisted Team Katusha to bring the escapee back as several counter attacks were launch to further soften up a depleted peloton.

By the final three kilometres, the two outfits with the help of ORICA-GreenEDGE managed to bring it back together for the eventual reduced bunch sprint.