Reigning three-time Australian road champion Luke Plapp is nursing a nasty road rash after his high-speed Tour Down Under crash.

The Jayco AlUla star was in a small group that came down about 10 kilometres from the finish of Thursday’s third stage, won by compatriot Sam Welsford (BORA Hansgrohe).

Plapp was being treated for severe road rash from the back of the shoulder to the hip on his left side.

While he was in severe pain, Plapp said in the medical tent soon after the stage he wanted to keep racing in Friday’s fourth stage.

The team will make a call either on Thursday night or Friday morning as to whether Plapp stays in the race.

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Asked if Plapp would start stage four, team owner Gerry Ryan said: “A bit early to say. He wants to, but let him sleep tonight.”

Plapp’s absence at the finish also hurt Jayco AlUla’s Australian sprint ace Caleb Ewan, who continues to endure a frustrating Santos Tour.

He was out of position at the finish and could only manage sixth, well out of contention.

Welsford and his teammates executed their sprint so well he was able to look over his shoulder as he crossed the line outside St Ignatius College in suburban Athelstone.

A three-rider break was caught more than 30 kilometres from the finish of Thursday’s 145.3-kilometre stage that set off from suburban Tea Tree Gully and went north through the Barossa before doubling back to Adelaide.

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The sprinters’ teams then dominated the hair-raising run through the Adelaide Hills to the finish.

It was during that final downhill run through the hills that Plapp’s crash happened.

Welsford’s teammate Danny van Poppel gave the two-time Olympic track cycling medallist the ideal lead-out, and the Australian duly saluted after also taking out the sprint finish in stage one.

Exciting Mexican rookie Isaac del Toro, who won stage two, retained the overall lead by two seconds.

Friday’s 136.2-kilometre stage four from Murray Bridge to Port Elliot will be another sprinters’ stage, before the two decisive summit finishes to the final stages over the weekend at Willunga and then Mount Lofty.

-AAP