Denmark's Kasper Asgreen is probably fairly happy about the relaxed pace inside the peloton today.

The Deceuninck-QuickStep man underwent tests for concussion on both Monday evening and again this morning after crashing into a traffic sign, with such force on stage three, that it snapped his bike in two.

Speaking at the start in Reims earlier, the 24-year-old told Danish broadcaster TV 2 Sport.

"I just got a bottle out of the car, but I already had two on the bike, so I took it in my mouth and found some spectators to throw the empty one to.

"When I looked down to put the new bottle in the holder, I rode head-on into a sign on a traffic island, Asgreen said.

"It was a huge schoolboy error."

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Michael Schar (CCC) and Yoann Offredo and Frederik Backaert have put three minutes into the peloton as we approach the 35km mark.

Still zero reaction behind. And why should there be. It's an age, well about 90km until the categorised climb at the Core de Rosieres.

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Here's a word from Team Ineos boss Sir Dave Brailsford, who has been asked whether he has any worries over defending champion Geraint Thomas losing a handful of seconds to co-leader Egan Bernal and Thibaut Pinot, at the finish in Epernay on Monday.

"None whatsoever. When you watch the race and see the finish, Geraint was waiting, he was in the right place, with riders going over him, so no worries whatsoever," he said.

"The gap between him and Egan was about a second but then it's obviously because of the way the time works. It means diddly-squat

"He [Geraint] has spent most of his adult life racing a bike. There is rustiness and rustiness.

"It’s quite good to have this long stage again today and then the next two are hard from an energy perspective before the big showdown on a La Planche des Belles Filles."

Is it any wonder that Julian Alaphilippe struggled to get some kip.

On Monday he entered a magic circle of French riders who have worn the yellow jersey, won the King of the Mountains and won at least three stages.

The seven others were Rene Vietto, Louison Bobet, Raphael Geminiani, Bernard Hinault, Laurent Jalabert, Richard Virenque and Thomas Voeckler.

How he'd like to emulate overall winners Bobet and Hinault eh.

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Now it's a good job it's going to be a fairly steady day because someone didn't get much sleep last night.

Julian Alaphilippe was not out celebrating, or having to deal with grouchy toddlers, just excited, telling French TV that his stage three win had brought on a bout of insomnia.

“I struggled to fall asleep last night. I displayed the yellow jersey on top of the television to make sure that I’d see it at wake up.

"Last year I already got a lot of support from the public but this morning, about 150 people were cheering for me outside of my hotel. I’ll enjoy every kilometre I’ll ride with the yellow jersey.

"I’m overwhelmed and proud. It was an exploit yesterday but on my favourite terrain. I’m not a favourite for winning the Tour de France. Today, we’ll control the race especially because we want Elia Viviani to win in Nancy.”

Lotto-Soudal's Maxime Monfort is sat up leading the peloton out, who don't care a jot that the gap to the breakaway has widened to around two minutes and 30 seconds.

Of course on Monday, the Belgian team had Tim Wellens, involved in that move.

And the 28-year-old went on to pick up the polka-dot jersey as a result, becoming the fifth Lotto-Soudal rider to wear it after Peter De Clercq (1991& 94), Philippe Gilbert (2011), Jelle Vanendert (2011) and Thomas De Gendt (2016).

A three-man breakaway has headed off up the road.

Michael Schar from CCC and two Wanty-Groupe Gobert riders, Yoann Offredo and Frederik Backaert, have taken almost two minutes out of the main group.

Julian Alaphilippe was all smiles as the peloton got under way in Reims.

And why shouldn't he be? The 27-year-old is the first French rider to wear yellow since Tony Gallopin led the race in 2014.

And away we go. Though you'd have hardly noticed.

The pace is still pretty similar to that in the neutralised zone. There'll be no maximal effort today.

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The peloton is just rolling out of Reims.

Skirting past the grand Cathedral of Notre-Dame were the kings of France were crowned for almost a millennium.

Racing will get underway in the next 10 minutes or so.

Defending champion Geraint Thomas and his Ineos crew are ready to rock.

It wasn't a great day for Thomas on Monday who lost a handful of seconds on the sprint finish.

Still that can be easily rectified in the second time trial on stage 13 and in the Mountains.

Julian Alaphilippe had said he was going to be a marked man at the Tour this year after winning the King of the Mountains classification in 2018.

But he was imperious on Monday surging away from the peloton and showing just why he is the top-ranked male road rider in the world, as he collected the yellow jersey.

And his bike is adorned with yellow handlebars today, to signify he is the new race leader.

Yep today's 213.5km route from Reims into Nancy is as flat as a pancake, so expect all the fireworks late on in the day.

Peter Sagan, Caleb Ewan, Elia Viviani and Dylan Groenewegen will all fancy their chances of winning stage four.

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the fourth stage of that three-week odyssey that is the Tour de France.

After puncheur supreme Julian Alaphilippe took the yellow jersey with a devastating attack on the rolling hills around Epernay, on stage three, it’s the turn of the pure sprinters to shine in Nancy.