A stinging attack as the front group entered the final km helped Bradley Wiggins (SKY) move to second place overall at the Volta a Catalunya after the race hit the mountains on stage three yesterday.

Wiggins was paced into a leading position by teammates Dario Cataldo and Rigoberto Urán on the hors-categorie climb to the Vallter 2000 ski resort, and then shredded the peloton to pieces as he passed under the flamme rouge.

The attack saw Wiggins lead the race into the final 500 metres only for Nairo Quintana (Movistar) to launch a decisive counter attack of his own which saw him race on for a solo stage victory, six seconds ahead of Movistar team-mate Alejandro Valverde.

Wiggins was clocked at the same time as Valverde after crossing the line in fourth position - immediately behind Joaquím Rodriguez (Katusha) - and those results mean he now trails new race leader Valverde by just four seconds with four stages remaining.

After the stage SKY sports director, Marcus Ljungqvist, was happy with the performance of the team as the overall standings now allow Sky more options than just an attack from Wiggins. According to Ljungqvist, however, the team would have liked an even harder stage.

“It was a good effort from the guys and it was great to see Brad getting up there at the end," he said on the Sky website. "He [Wiggins] feels like he attacked too early but the most important thing is that he is up there and in a position to do that on the climb at the end of the stage. “Rigo is up there, so is López and the team are looking strong. They all got around Brad and supported him well without going to the front too. It would have suited Brad and us more if it had been a harder stage.”

Ljungqvist is hopeful that Thursday’s stage will prove harder for other teams than for his own. “It just all came down to that last climb.There were a lot of fresh legs at the end but hopefully some people will pay more for the effort tomorrow than we will.”