Joaquim Rodriguez wins crash-laden Stage 3 of the Tour

After winning Stage 3 of Tour de France, Joaquim Rodriguez bounced back from a shaky Stage 2 to also win the first polka-dot jersey signifying the king of the mountains.

As he crossed the finish line with his arms raised above his head, it was impossible not to notice the big plaster on Joaquim Rodriguez's left elbow.

After crashing twice in the previous stage and picking up injuries on his knee, elbow and hip, Rodriguez mastered one of cycling's most brutal ascents to claim his second win on the Tour.

''I'm like good wine, getting better with age,'' said the 36-year-old Spanish veteran.

Australia's Rohan Dennis, center in red with yellow helmet, and Simon Gerrans, to his right , po …

Nicknamed ''Purito'' - a small cigar in Spain - Rodriguez also claimed the best climber's polka-dot jersey after making his move about 350 meters from the line.

''I will maybe indulge myself with a cigar tonight although it might be better to wait until Paris,'' he said. ''I'm aiming for a podium finish.''

When Rodriguez attacked, Tony Gallopin managed to hang on in his wheel. That was before Froome counterattacked to finish second and take the yellow jersey, two years after winning the race.

''The Mur de Huy (climb) is something special to me,'' Rodriguez said. ''I already won here and finished on the podium of the Fleche Wallonne several times. But it was more difficult today. I wanted to forget what happened yesterday.''