Back to 2012 Tour de France | Stage map and profile | Photos from stage 3

Stage 3, Tuesday, July 3: Orchies - Boulogne sur Mer, 197 km. Medium mountains.

Rated Climbs:

• Km 132.0: Côte de L'Éperche - 0.7 km @ 6.9% - Category 4
• Km 163.5: Côte de Mont Violette - 1.0 km @ 9.2% - Category 3
• Km 181.0: Côte de Herquelingue - 1.7 km @ 5.8% - Category 4
• Km 185.0: Côte de Quéhen - 1.4 km @ 5.9% - Category 4
• Km 190.5: Côte du Mont Lambert - 1.3 km @ 8.4% - Category 3
• Km 197.0: Boulogne-sur-Mer - 0.7 km @ 7.4% - Category 4

The Race: Flat tires and crashes, including one near the finish line, tormented the riders today. The day's break, containing KOM Michael Morkov, rolled off early and was able to stay away most of the stage. But Liquigas knew this race had Peter Sagan written all over it, so they collaborated with RadioShack-Nissan to keep the break on a short leash.

The most dramatic move of the day came from Sylvain Chavanel, who jumped with 5 km to go. He never got enough of a lead to stay away, and when the final slope reared up, he was swallowed by the pack. Michael Albasini rolled the dice, but with Sagan on his wheel, he and the rest were doomed. Sagan jumped and got a large enough gap to showboat across the line.

Results:

1. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) 4hr 42min 58sec. 41.8 km/hr
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 1sec
3. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
4. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
5. Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
6. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
7. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) s.t.
8. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t.
9. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) s.t.
10. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
11. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
12. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) s.t.
13. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
14. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) s.t.
15. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
16. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) s.t.
17. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
18. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
19. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
20. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
21. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.
22. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
23. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) s.t.
24. Rémy Di Gregorio (Cofidis) s.t.
25. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
26. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
27. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) s.t.
28. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
29. Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
30. Oscar Freire (Katusha) s.t.
31. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
32. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
33. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) s.t.
34. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) s.t.
35. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
36. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) s.t.
37. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) s.t.
38. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
39. Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) s.t.
40. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana) s.t.
41. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
42. Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
43. Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil) s.t.
44. Baden Cooke (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
45. Andriy Grivko (Astana) s.t.
46. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) s.t.
47. Nick Nuyens (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
48. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
49. Tony Gallopin (Radi Shack-Nissan) s.t.
50. Marcus Burghardt (BMC) s.t.

General Classification: 602.5 km raced so far at an average speed of 40.824 km/hr

1. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) 14hr 45min 30sec
2. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 7sec
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Omaga Pharma-Quick-Step) s.t.
4. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 10sec
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 11sec
6. Denis Menchov (Katusha) @ 13sec
7. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 17sec
8. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 18sec
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
10. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 19min
11. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 21sec
12. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 22sec
13. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
14. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) s.t.
15. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) @ 23sec
16. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) s.t.
17. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
18. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 23sec
19. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) s.t.
20. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 25sec
21. Michael Rogers (Sky) s.t.
22. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 26sec
23. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 28sec
24. Dreis Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 29sec
25. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
26. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 35sec
27. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
28. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 37sec
29. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
30. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 38sec
31. Andriy Grivko (Astana) s.t.
32. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 40sec
33. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) @ 42sec
34. Rui Albert Faria da Costa (Movistar) s.t.
35. Nick Nuyens (Saxo-Tionkoff) @ 43sec
36. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 45sec
37. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
38. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 47sec
39. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) @ 48sec
40. Steven Kruijswijk (Rabobank) @ 53sec
41. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) s.t.
42. Micheal Albasini (Orica-GreenEdge) @ 54sec
43. Oscar Freire (Katusha) @ 57sec
44. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) @ 1min 0sec
45. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 1min 1sec
46. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 1min 24sec
47. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1mn 29sec
48. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 1min 30sec
49. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1min 38sec
50. Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) @ 1min 41sec

Climber:

1. Michael Morkov (Saxo-Tinkoff): 9 points
2. Ivan Basso (Liquigas): 2
3. Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel): 1
4. Peter Sagen (Liquigas): 1
5. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan): 1

Points:

1. Peter Sagen (Liquigas): 86 points
2. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 73
3. Fabian Cancellara: 55
4. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge): 55
5. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 42

Young Rider:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) 14hr 45min 40sec
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 1sec
3. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 12sec
4. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) @ 13sec
5. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) @ 14sec

Team Classification:

1. Sky: 44hr 17min 4sec
2. Radio Shack-Nissan @ 4sec
3. BMC @ 6sec
4. Omega Pharma-Quick Step @ 13sec
5. Liquigas @ 29sec

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Stage map and profile:

Stage 3 map

Stage 3 profile

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Photos from Stage 3:

A bandaged Tony Martin heads to the start.

Philippe Gilbert

Peter Sagen clips in

Marcel Kittel should be a real factor in the sprints, but he's been riding sick.

Levi Leipheimer

Frank Schleck

The Swiss watt machine, Fabian Cancellara

The Vittel publisicy truck. Still no giant flies.

Huge crowd at the start

Heading for the line. Wouter Poels looks back and sees in in Peter Sagan's sight.

Michael Albasini tries to go by Poel's right.

And Sagan takes off. Cancellara and Evans can only watch.

The result

Denis Menchov was one of many riders delayed by the crash near the finish, but was given the same time as the pack.

Not a day suited to Mark Cavendish's talents

Sagen on the podium

Michael Morkov extended his KOM lead.

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