Summary

  • Stage three: 35.5km team time trial, Cholet

  • BMC quickest in 38mins 46secs

  • Van Avermaet takes yellow jersey from Sagan

  • Froome & Team Sky +4secs

  • Quick-Step Floors +7secs

  • Adam Yates' Mitchelton-Scott +9secs

  1. Postpublished at 16:53 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Right, that's nearly it for this live text. Team time trials aren't always the best watch but that was pretty intriguing. Who knows what the time gained and lost by the various GC contenders today could mean down the line?

    Tomorrow, it's back to the sprinters with a 195km flat route from La Baule to Sarzeau.

    Can Mark Cavendish overcome his difficult start to the Tour and add to his 30 stage wins?

    Stage four profileImage source, Tour de France
  2. 'A special feeling' - Portepublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    BMC leader Richie Porte, speaking to ITV4: "It's a fantastic day to win the stage with the team like that especially with the passing of [team founder] Andy Rihs this year so that's a special feeling.

    "It's a long way to Paris but it's just great to win a stage in the Tour."

  3. 'Awesome job' - Dumoulinpublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Sunweb leader Tom Dumoulin, speaking to ITV4: "We did an awesome job, the boys were amazing and last year at the team time trial at the worlds no one suited up as the strongest and there was not much difference between everyone again today and that's exactly what you want.

    "So far I'm super relaxed and the team are as well. There is lots to come but we're happy with how it went today and the first two days."

  4. Postpublished at 16:47 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    So Tom Dumoulin is the first of the main overall contenders to put himself into the top 10 of the general classification.

    The Dutchman's Sunweb team put in a fantastic ride today, finishing fifth overall, just 11 seconds down on BMC.

    That means Dumoulin is just 11 seconds off the yellow jersey and still 40 seconds ahead of Chris Froome.

  5. Top 10 on GCpublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    1. Greg van Avermaet (Bel/BMC) 9hrs 8mins 55secs
    2. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC) same time
    3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +3secs
    4. Philippe Gilbert (Bel/Quick-Step Floors) +5secs
    5. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step Floors) +7secs
    6. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Quick-Step Floors) same time
    7. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Sunweb) +11secs
    8. Soren Kragh Andersen (Den/Team Sunweb) same time
    9. Michael Matthews (Aus/Team Sunweb) same time
    10. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Education First-Drapac) +35secs
  6. Top 10 on stage threepublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    1. BMC Racing 38mins 46secs
    2. Team Sky +4secs
    3. Quick-Step Floors +7secs
    4. Mitchelton Scott +9secs
    5. Team Sunweb +11secs
    6. EF Education First-Drapac +35secs
    7. Bora-Hansgrohe +50secs
    8. Astana +51secs
    9. Katusha-Alpecin +52secs
    10. Movistar +53secs
  7. BMC win stage, Van Avermaet in yellowpublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 9 July 2018
    Breaking

    BMC win stage three of the 2018 Tour de France with a time of 38 minutes 46 seconds as the final team Bora cruise over 50 seconds down.

    That puts Belgium's Greg van Avermaet into the yellow jersey.

    Team Sky finished second on the stage, four seconds back, with Quick-Step Floors third, seven seconds down.

  8. Postpublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Bora have just 1km left to go.

    The current yellow jersey Peter Sagan is not with them, having been dropped earlier. The world champion knew he stood no chance of holding onto yellow today and is saving his legs.

    Four Bora riders are coming up to the line now...

  9. Postpublished at 16:33 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    So Olympic road race champion Greg van Avermaet will take the yellow jersey after stage three of the Tour de France.

  10. Quick-Step go thirdpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Quick-Step come home just over six seconds down on BMC.

    They finish third, behind Team Sky too.

    That means BMC have effectively won the stage and Greg van Avermaet is in yellow tonight.

    Bora are still out on the course but have no hope of overhauling BMC's time.

  11. Postpublished at 16:29 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Here come Quick-Step up to the line...

    I don't think they're going to get there.

  12. Postpublished at 16:28 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Wanty-Groupe Gobert cruise over the line in the second-slowest time of 41 minutes 10 seconds.

    That leaves just two teams out on course - Quick-Step and Bora.

    Quick-Step are down to four riders and remain around five seconds down on BMC on the splits.

  13. Sagan droppedpublished at 16:25 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    The yellow jersey, Peter Sagan, is dropped by the rest of his Bora team-mates.

    This is not the stage for the world champion, he'll go again in sprint and medium mountains stages to come.

  14. Postpublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Astana put in a decent ride, finishing 51 seconds down on BMC.

    That will put their leader Jakob Fuglsang back level with Richie Porte and just in front of Chris Froome.

    Again, they would've expected to have a deficit to those two after the TTT, not be level, so that's not a bad result.

  15. Postpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Gilbert is two seconds in front of Van Avermaet in the general classification so Quick-Step need to make up over four seconds on BMC in this final section to put their man in yellow.

  16. Postpublished at 16:19 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Quick-Step roll through the second time check six seconds down on BMC.

    Greg van Avermaet is still in yellow for now.

    What can Quick-Step do on the run for home?

  17. Postpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Quick-Step are approaching the second time check.

    BMC's Greg van Avermaet watches on with interest...

  18. Postpublished at 16:17 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Quick-Step have shed another rider and are down to five.

    But they're blitzing it - just three or four seconds down on BMC on the split times.

  19. Postpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 9 July 2018

    Perhaps dropping Fernando Gaviria and another rider was exactly what Quick-Step needed to do.

    Without that anchor, they are flying.

    Philippe Gilbert is now the closest man they have to yellow. Will be a heck of an effort to overhaul the time of BMC and deny Greg van Avermaet though.