I love the way the numbers of fans on the road has fluctuated over the weekend. We are now up to five million. Two, three, four, five - whichever way you look at, the Tour is having a terrific send off. I can't wait for next year's three-day Tour of Yorkshire.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra:

"We are told as many as five million people turned out over the weekend and not to mention the millions and millions who watched all over the world. It will have untold economic benefits and hundreds of thousands youngsters will be encouraged to take up cycling."

You can listen by clicking on the Live Coverage tab at the top of the page.

Robert Ratcliff:, external In a meeting on floor 30. Got a great view but hoping I can get downstairs in time.

Now the intermediate sprint is out of the way it's all about the finish in London. The timing of the catch is crucial and the lead is down to 69 seconds as they head through Epping Forest. The road is long and straight and, as you would expect, packed with people.

Alex Howe:, external Crowds building outside Buckingham Palace.

Jen on text: Please can you mention the volunteers and the great work they are doing as part of Le Tour, including my sister Tamsin who is helping in London today. Thanks.

Consider it done. The Tourmakers have been outstanding all weekend. Chapeau to them all.

A bit of anti-climax that but I don't think The Mall will be quite so straightforward. What the sprint by the peloton has done though is reduce the deficit to the leading duo to just 75 seconds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Bobby Dynes:, external There goes the lead duo #td #essex.

Kelly Adams:, external Crowds are out in Epping, waiting. Hoping the rain stays away.

Luke Meaton:, external The copper box.

Rob Hayles
Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"Jean-Marc Bideau has beaten everyone from the bunch each time on this intermediate sprint. Peter Segan is taking easy points, he is not going too deep but is comfortable wearing this green jersey. Segan is holding everything back because we have only 45kms to the finish."

Green Jersey
Classification

Cannondale are trying to set Sagan up but Europcar rider Bryan Coquard is the man who gets over the line first to pick up 15 points. Sagan follows him over the line for 14 and I'll bring you the full result shortly.

Green Jersey
Classification

Jan Barta and Jean-Marc Bideau are rolling up to the sprint finish - there are thousands lining the streets in Epping and Bideau emerges from Barta's slipstream to take the 20 points. It's not much of a sprint though. The big boys are coming though...

Brenda in Essex on text: Any idea when they will pass Temple Gardens plse? Wish bosses would let us go to watch great atmosphere can hear the noise here in the office.

Sorry, no idea where TG is - they are nearly through Essex though. In Epping now if it helps?!

Green Jersey
Classification

The peloton is whizzing through North Weald, bunny hopping over the raised roundabout in the middle of the high street. The sprinters are moving up the peloton, getting ready to contest the minor places in the sprint.

The front two will pick up 20 and 17 points for being first over the line. The first man from the peloton over the line will get 15 valuable points in the race for the green jersey, with points on offer for the first 15.

Defending champ Peter Sagan is currently in the green jersey, having picked up good points in the intermediate sprints on stages one and two and at by finishing well.

James Shore:, external‏ In a good spot in Birdcage Walk.

Rob Hayles
Former Great Britain cyclist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"Today is an easier stage to predict than yesterday, it was incredible yesterday, we couldn't name the winner before they finished. Today a group went away after the start, they have got two minutes and 17 and the bunch behind are setting themselves up for the sprint finish. Once the peloton decide they want to reel the leaders in, they will."

You can listen by clicking on the Live Coverage tab at the top of the page.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Live commentary of the closing stages of stage three of the Tour de France is starting now on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. Click on the Live Coverage tab at the top of this page to listen.

Jan Barta of NetApp Endura and Jean-Marc Bideau of Bretagne-Seche continue to tap out a decent rhythm at the front of the race. They know the peloton is closing in and they have zero chance of winning the stage but their team managers and sponsors will be giving them extra rations at tea-time.

Their lead continues to hover around the two-minute mark. On a flat stage like this, the general rule of thumb is that the peloton will close down one minute for every 10km travelled.

We have 54km remaining and the small matter of the intermediate sprint in 7km.

Keep sending in your pictures of how you are enjoying the third stage of the Tour de France to #bbccycling., external The contributions so far have been superb, keep it up please.

The leaders have just 60km remaining. Their advantage is holding steady at two minutes. One Giant-Shimano rider, one from Lotto-Belisol and one from FDJ on the front of the main bunch. The FDJ rider is there because their French sprinter Arnaud Demare will be fancying his chances on The Mall.

Demare has form in London - he won the RideLondon-Surrey Classic last summer. Admittedly the competition was not Marcel Kittel or Andre Greipel but he knows the way home.