“I’m just a bit angry that I sat up yesterday,” Cavendish admitted after his win, which leaves him four seconds behind QuickStep Floors rider Viviani overall.

“Technically I could have had the leader’s jersey [and] I apologise to my teammates for that. They did a great job today.

“I’m nowhere near the form I had in July but I’m happy with my form now.”

Cavendish is one of seven Brits at the Dubai Tour – which is not a UCI WorldTour race, despite the high calibre of riders it attracts.

And for the third stage running, former British champion Adam Blythe (Aqua Blue Sport) and rising star Jacob Hennessy (Mitchelton-BikeExchange) were in the mix in the final sprint, too.

Blythe’s fourth place – his best result so far – lifts him to 11th overall, while Cambridgeshire-born Hennessy, who was sixth on stage one, is now 12th.

The GC is likely to be shaken up on stage four, however, which finishes atop Hatta Dam – a stage for the puncheurs with gradients touching 17 per cent at their steepest.

Dubai Tour 2018: stage three – result

1) Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Dimension Data – 3.53.46hrs
2) Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) – Cofidis – ST
3) Marcel Kittel (GER) – Katusha-Alpecin
4) Adam Blythe (GBR) – Aqua Blue Sport
5) Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) – Bahrain-Merida
6) Elia Viviani (ITA) – QuickStep Floors
7) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – UAE Team Emirates
8) Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN) – Astana
9) Riccardo Minali (ITA) – Astana
10) Dylan Groenewegen (NED) – LottoNL-Jumbo

General classification

1) Elia Viviani (ITA) – QuickStep Floors – 12.19.38hrs
2) Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Dimension Data +4”
3) Nathan van Hooydonck (BEL) – BMC Racing +7”
4) Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN) – Astana +8”
5) Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) – Cofidis – ST
6) Loic Vliegen (BEL) – BMC Racing
7) Marcel Kittel (GER) – Katusha-Alpecin +10”
8) Riccardo Minali (ITA) – Astana – ST
9) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – UAE Team Emirates +14”
10) Sonny Colbrelli (ITA) – Bahrain-Merida – ST
11) Adam Blythe (GBR) – Aqua Blue Sport
12) Jacob Hennessy (GBR) – Mitchelton-BikeExchange