Cyclists ride past a village during the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of Astana Pro Team claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Cyclists ride past the Juyongguan Great Wall during the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Italy's Francesco Gava of Astana Pro Team claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of Astana Pro Team sprints during the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Francesco Gavazzi claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Cyclists compete during the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of Astana Pro Team claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Cyclists ride past Shisanling Reservoir during the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of Astana Pro Team claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Germany's Tony Martin of the Omega Pharma Quickstep team (C) celebrates after the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Tony Martin leads overall after the third stage. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of Astana Pro Team (2nd, L) celebrates after the third stage of the 2012 Tour of Beijing cycling race in Beijing, China, October 11, 2012. Francesco Gavazzi claimed victory in the third stage with 4 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

Francesco Gavazzi from team Astana won the third stage with a late sprint at the Tour of Beijing here on Thursday.

The Italian rider prevailed with a late burst at the end of the 162.5-kilometer stage from Mentougou to the Badaling Great Wall, clocking the time of four hours five minutes and eight seconds.

Ireland's Daniel Martin of team Garmin-Sharp and Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen of team Sky took the second and third respectively.

With the Great Wall as the background, Gavazzi was satisfied with his final sprint.

"Today's race was so close, and I took the lead by a very small margin in the last 200m," said Gavazzi, who also took the point classification.

Tony Martin, who finished the third stage among the leading group, retained the overall leader's jersey and is 40 seconds ahead of Gavazzi on general classification.

Daniel Martin claimed the mountain classification for the second-consecutive time in the third stage, in which Majka Rafal of team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank became the best young rider after finishing 14th.

All 18 WorldTour teams and the Chinese continental professional team Champion System line up in the second edition of the five-day race, the first of its kind in Asia as the International Cycling Union (UCI) looks to expand into new continents.