Australian Jack Haig (Mitchelton-Scott), known for his mountain performances, took the overall pro lead for the first time in his career at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

No time bonuses in Valencia and a fifth-place finish at the first summit finish the day before, Crera, in the same time as stage winner Tadey Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates), kept Hague in contention for the overall.

Then, in a group sprint finish in Trevieja on Friday, Haig finished 12th, five seconds behind Pogachar, and took the bright yellow leader's jersey in Valencia.

Haig knew that an important and much tougher summit finish on stage 4 would surely split the overall battle and could completely change the overall. However, he said that thanks to the ranking rules in Valencia, the jersey was within reach and that it was always worth a shot at taking the jersey.

"The classification here is very interesting, and we knew that just by the total [of the last three stages], we had a chance to win the jersey," Haig told reporters.

"So it was half-planned, but it wasn't the main objective of the day."

Asked when was the last time he had been in the mix in a group sprint, Haig laughed, "It's been quite a while, and it was a bit sketchy, but it wasn't too bad."

As for Saturday's climb, Haig said, "I hope it's good for me. From what I've heard from the other riders, it's incredibly steep and it's going to be quite a battle. It's only five kilometers, but it's going to be quite an effort."

As for the significance of having the jersey and whether it will change his attitude toward Saturday's stage, Haig said, "Not really. It gives me confidence, but the approach is exactly the same. I'm going to do what I do best and try to use my team well to put us in the best position possible at the base of the climb.

Last year, Haig had already shown that he was in great form early in the season, finishing seventh overall in Valencia, sixth in the Vuelta a Andalucia, and fourth in Paris-Nice. This year, rather than trying to be perfect from the start, he said he had no idea what his condition would be like.

"It worked out better than it worked out. I spent the whole winter at home in Andorra, so I had quite a bit of time to ski, and to come here in such good shape is a very pleasant surprise."

Further on, Hague plans to follow the same program as in 2019, with the Vuelta a Andalucía followed by Paris-Nice. For now, however, his attention is entirely focused on retaining what he won at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, albeit in somewhat unexpected circumstances.