(Sean Quentin Lee is a regular BPL contributor on cycling.)

A withering burst of speed in the sprint finish saw young German cycling sensation Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano) hold off local riders Steele Von Hoff (Genesys Wealth Advisers) and Thomas Palmer (Drapac Professional Cycling) to claim stage three of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour yesterday.

Kittel, a neo-pro who has claimed an astonishing 16 victories this year, including a stage of the Vuelta a Espana and a string of wins at the highly rated Four Days of Dunkirk, is considered by many to be second only to Brit sprint king Mark Cavendish when it comes to finishing speed.

And he is developing quite a love affair with the Geelong region which hosted the stage. A year ago almost to the day, Kittel left Geelong after claiming a bronze medal in the under-23 world time trial championship.

Second place getter, Von Hoff, is also an emerging star, albeit on the domestic circuit. With 17 victories of his own locally, the winner of the 2011 Scody Cup road series relished the chance to go head to head with the German pro. Out of position after coming through the last corner, the Victorian fought his way onto Kittel's wheel but had to settle for second place.

The fact that Von Hoff was contesting the finish at all is testament to his riding skill after twice being forced off the road earlier in the stage by one of the Russian riders from the Katusha team.

Despite the argy bargy, the race was once again blessed with perfect weather, making the ride from Geelong, through the Otway ranges, and back along the Great Ocean Road to Drysdale, a pleasant one for the riders. While four riders managed to break away and gain a lead of around seven minutes, they were caught well before the finish which allowed the sprinters to set themselves for the bunch finish.

Rhys Pollock (Drapac Professional Cycling) remains the overall leader by 15 seconds from Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth Advisers) with Denmark's Jonas Aen Jorgensen (Saxo Bank-SunGard) in third place at 18 seconds. Haas also maintains his lead in the sprint and young rider classifications, while Canada's Nic Hamilton (Jelly Belly) has taken over the King of Mountain jersey after claiming maximum points on the classified climbs while part of the ill fated breakaway.

Saturday's stage four promises to be the highlight of the Tour with the riders taking on the fearsome Arthur's Seat climb, not once, but three times. Australian road champion and WorldTour rider Jack Bobridge (Garmin-Cervelo) who lurks just 23 seconds back on general classification will be looking to make a move on the leaders. Noted climber Matthew Lloyd (Mitchelton Australian National Team), although out of contention for overall honours will be looking to further test his legs in his comeback event and may also ignite some fireworks.

This is a stage not to be missed.