MADRID, March 5, 2010 (AFP) – Australia’s Luke Roberts Friday won the third stage of the Tour of Murcia in a mass sprint finish that involved the race favorites, including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

Roberts, who rides for Team Milram, edged Uzbekistan’s Sergey Lagutin and Spain’s Josep Jufre to the line at the end of the 166.5-kilometer stage between Las Torres de Cotillas and Alhama de Murcia.

Jufre took over the leader’s yellow jersey from South Africa’s Robert Hunter, who won the first two stages but withdrew from the event earlier Friday because his wife went into labor.

Armstrong, who is on only his second stage race of the year, finished with the same time as the leader, as did Britain’s Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins and last year’s Tour of Murcia winner Dennis Menchov of Russia.

Much will now depend on Saturday’s time trial to decide who will win the five-day event.

Stage 3 :
1. Luke Roberts (AUS/Milram) 4hr 16min 47sec, 2. Sergey Lagutin
(UZB/Vacansoleil) same time, 3. Josep Jufre (ESP/Astana) s.t., 4. Denis Menchov (RUS/Rabobank) s.t., 5. Andreas Kloden (GER/RadioShack) s.t.
Selected:
9. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Sky) s.t., 26. Lance Armstrong (USA/RadioShack) s.t.

Overall standings:
1. Josep Jufre (ESP/Astana) 12hr 52min 39sec, 2. Luke Roberts (AUS/Milram) s.t., 3. Frantisek Rabon (CZE/HTC-Columbia) s.t., 4. Rob Ruijgh (NED/Vacansoleil) s.t., 5. Thomas Rohregger (AUT/Milram) s.t.
Selected:
11. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Sky) at 05sec, 13. Denis Menchov (RUS/Rabobank) s.t., 19. Lance Armstrong (USA/RadioShack) s.t.