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Tour de France 2017: Peter Sagan wins dramatic sprint finish but row over Team Sky skinsuits dominates news agenda
Stage three results and standings after Sagan wins dramatic sprint
Beginners' guide: What are the rules, what do the jerseys mean?
While Peter Sagan’s decision to don what appeared to be a pair of ski goggles after winning stage three into Longwy raised plenty of questions, it was the escalating row over Team Sky’s Vortex skinsuits that really dominated the news agenda on Monday.
The British super team enjoyed another profitable day, Chris Froome moving up to second overall behind team mate and yellow jersey wearer Geraint Thomas after the pair finished in the group just behind the front three. But the controversy over the skinsuits they used in Saturday’s Dusseldorf time trial just will not go away, despite them having already been declared legal by race authorities.
BMC manager Jim Ochowicz vowed that the matter was “not over” and that the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, was actively looking at it. Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Sky’s principal, had effectively added a bit of kerosene to the mix on Monday morning, accusing his rivals of failing to do their jobs properly and telling them they should stop whingeing about his team’s skinsuits and “get their own houses in order” instead of trying to stir up trouble.
Sky’s Vortex skinsuits allegedly enhance airflow around the rider thanks to the ‘dimple pads’ on the upper arms and shoulder. Rival teams, though, believe the wording of the rules – which forbid “the addition of any non-essential element or device to clothing” – is ambiguous and have challenged Sky’s interpretation.
Brailsford pointed out that Sky had used the same technology at the Giro d’Italia in May, and again in the TT at the Dauphiné, but it was only now the matter was being brought up. “We know the rules inside out,” Brailsford said. “We get things checked. We raced with the [Vortex] skinsuits at the Giro, the Dauphiné and here. So from our point of view nothing has changed. It’s just that everyone else has woken up and started paying attention like they should have been doing.
“If they have only noticed at a stage in the Tour de France what we’ve been riding for three months I’d be asking them what the hell they are doing. Go and get your house in order, shape up a little bit and then we can talk about it.”
Ochowicz, for his part, vowed the matter was “not over”. “The UCI is looking at the questions that people have,” he said. “I know our skinsuits are fine and we don’t have to worry. We meet all the standards. There is some confusion about the way it’s worded.”
Asked whether he thought Sky would be wearing the same suit at the penultimate day TT in Marseille, Ochowicz added: “It’s an active discussion”.
Ochowicz’s lead rider, Richie Porte, did his best to steal a march on Froome and Thomas on the uphill finish into Longwy in northeastern France. The Australian went early on the final 1.6km climb, which averaged 5.8 per cent, briefly opening up a little gap.
Porte was caught and passed well before the finish line, though, by cycling’s current superstar Sagan [Bora-Hansgrohe]. The prodigiously-talented double world champion even had time to nonchalantly clip back into his pedal after his right shoe came loose just as he was about to launch his final sprint.
The Slovakian eventually beat a charging Michael Matthews [Sunweb] and Dan Martin [Quick-Step Floors] to the line before hanging a pair of big red goggles around his neck for his post-race interviews.
“They’re motocross goggles not ski goggles,” Sagan explained to reporters. Why was he wearing them, though? “They’re stylish.” He replied. “It’s a nice style.”
Peter Sagan wins the stage
Peter Sagan, the two-time world champion, caught Richie Porte around 350 metres from the line before having a battle royal with Greg Van Avermaet and Michael Matthews. The Slovakian somehow lost his footing as his right shoe unclipped from its pedal. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider, though, retained his composure, clipped back in and despite Matthews closing in on him managed to regain momentum and win the stage. Quite remarkable stuff from Sagan when you consider the power he will have been pushing through each pedal stroke.
What a finale! Peter Sagan takes Stage 3! Watch LIVE now on @ITV4pic.twitter.com/vrSYOL52ht
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 3, 2017
Speaking immediately after his win, Sagan thanked his team, saying: “Well my team did an amazing job today. It was not easy, it was a lot of stress in the peloton. In the end, a pretty hard climb, BMC did a very good job for Richie [Porte] and after he attacked in the last 800m, he got a little gap.
"After, I decided to go – I guess it was too early – it was 400m to go. It was far away, in the moment, I said 'f***, again too early'. Then I started my sprint, and as I pushed – I pulled my feet out from the cleat. It was another mistake, I was like, 'what is happening today?' – after I that I won.
"Matthews almost beat me, but I am very happy for this victory and thank you Bora-Hansgrohe."
Also worth mentioning that Dan Martin of Quick-Step Floors somehow got involved in that with the big heavy sprinters and the Birmingham-born Irishman managed a very impressive podium finish just behind Matthews.
Geraint Thomas, meanwhile, reatined his leader's yellow jersey while team-mate Chris Froome climbed up to second. Matthews will start Tuesday's stage in third spot with the same time as the Team Sky leader.
700 metres to go
Richie Porte, the BMC Racing genearl classification contender, has attacked and put some distance between himself and the stage favourites.
1km to go
Quite a fre general classification rider near the front of the field, but looking good for Greg Van Avermaet and Peter Sagan.
1.5km to go
Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff and Peter Sagan are all present. As is Arnard Demare and a whole host of other potential winners.
2km to go
Peter Sagan's team-mate Emanuel Buchmann is leading the way just ahead of Marcus Burghardt with Greg Van Avermaet on third wheel going into the final climb.
4km to go
BMC Racing are drilling the pace as the field flies down the road before it rises again up towards the summit of the Côte des Religieuses – the final climb of the day.
6km to go
Katusha-Alpecin are showing themselves near the front, teeing up Alexander Kristoff perhaps?
6.5km to go
Seven or eight teams are all fighting for position near the front. Getting very physical and nervous out there right now.
8km to go
BMC Racing, Trek-Segafredo, Quick-Step Floors all have big numbers near the front of the bunch.
Vasil Kiryienka has got back on the back of the bunch.
10km to go
Lilian Calméjane has now caught by the peloton which is now being powered along by Trek-Segafredo, perhaps on behalf of John Degenkolb?
By the way, the Team Sky rider that was caught up in that spill was Vasil Kiryienka. The former world time trial champion is back on his bike and working his way through the team cars.
Crash!
Borut Bozic (Bahrain-Merida), Michael Gogl (Trek-Segafredo) and an unidentified Team Sky rider were all caught up in an incident around 13km from the line. The Team Sky rider was seen putting his chain back on, but I'm not too sure who it was.
13km to go
Lilian Calméjanekeeps peering over his right shoulder, resigned to the fact that he will soon be caught by the looming bunch who are now just 20sec behind.
15km to go
Lilian Calméjane's advantage has been slashed to below 30sec now. There's absolutely no way the young Frenchman can hold off the peloton. That short climb appears to have taken its toll on the Direct Énergie rider.
16km to go
Lilian Calméjane is out of his saddle and heading up towards the top of Côte de Villers-la-Montagne – it's just 1.1km in length with a not-too-difficult average gradient of 5.2% – where he will pick up his first point in the mountain classification.
18km to go
Lotto-Soudal rider Thomas De Gendt is final rider from that breakaway to be swallowed up by the bunch. Lilian Calméjane is on his drops and is going for glory on his Tour de France debut. Surely, though, he cannot hold on, can he?
20km to go
Romain Hardy of Fortuneo-Oscaro has now been caught by the peloton. Lilian Calméjane is ploughing on all alone up ahead with the peloton around 1min 3sec back.
22km to go
Steve Cummings, the British national road race champion, is sat at the back of the peloton. Of course he is. It's what he does, if he's not off the front winning that is.
Thomas De Gendt, the Lotto-Soudal rider, is labouring and appears to have been dropped as Lilian Calméjane leads the way up towards the top of the penultimate climb of the day, the Côte de Villers-la-Montagne.
25km to go
Laurens ten Dam is out of his saddle and on the drops as he leads the way for his Sunweb team-mates and the rest of the peloton. All of the teams from the main protagonists are present near the head of the field: BMC Racing, Quick-Step Floors and son on.
Once the riders get near the finish line the roads get quite narrow, quite twisty and quite technical. Great for spectators, an absolutely nerve-wracking time for directeur sportifs.
28.8km to go
The leading quartet has arrived in France around 1min 30sec up the road from the peloton. Romain Bardet has managed to get back on the back of the bunch while at the other end Sunweb have taken it up on the front.
Bardet crashes!
Romain Bardet, the Ag2r-La Mondiale team leader and France's biggest general classification hope, has reportedly crashed. The 26-year-old is back on his bike and is being shepherded through the cavalcade of team cars by three team-mates.
38km to go
Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Lilian Calméjane (Direct Énergie), Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fortuneo-Oscaro) and Romain Hardy (Fortuneo-Oscaro) are the stage leaders now, while the earlier escapees are being scooped up by the peloton which now trails by 1min 40sec.
De Gendt is a rider with obvious pedigree, but with so much at stake here I can't see him holding off the peloton. Calméjane, meanwhile, is a rider who has been spoken about in glowing terms for some time now by those who know a lot more than me about young French riders. Calméjane, who is making his Tour de France, has one grand tour stage on his palmarès which happened to be on the fourth stage at his first ever grand tour, last year's Vuelta a España. Is it an omen?
45km to go
With just 45km of the stage remaining now people are starting to, understandably, start plucking names out of the air as possible winners later this afternoon. Personally I think it will be one of three: Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert or Greg Van Avermaet.
Despite being out of the limelight since their fantastic spring classics campaigns, Gilbert and Van Avermaet have both won race recently with the latter taking a stage at the Tour de Luxembourg with a finish that was not too dissimilar to today, but will that help the Olympic road race champion a little later?
Tom Cary has been in touch and he has finally made it to Longwy having driven the route. Tom says the final couple of kilometres are punchier than he had expected, but says Sagan, Van Avermaet, Michael Matthews and all the other favourites will take it in his stride.
The leading group, by the way, has been whittled down to four riders whose advantage has increased to 1min 35sec.
55km to go
And six becomes nine. Lotto-Soudal, Direct Énergie and Fortuneo-Oscaro all have two riders each in the leading nine-man group whose advantage on the peloton is just 57sec.
Action stations!
A trio of riders – Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fortuneo-Oscaro) and Lilian Calmejane (Direct Énergie) – have chipped off the front and are in pursuit of the stage leaders. Meanwhile, there's been a crash in the peloton, but none of the main hitters appear to have been affected.
63km to go
The leading group has seen its advantage tumble fairly quickly to just 1min 5sec. Back in the bunch, Juraj Sagan is still leading the way, while Julien Vermote, the Quick-Step Floors rider is riding second wheel ahead of the entite Team Sky group of riders. A few minutes ago, Geraint Thomas was forced into dropping back to the team car, but he wasted little time in getting back to the head of the field.
75km to go
The six-man breakaway's advantage has dropped a little to just 2min 15sec, while Juraj Sagan is still putting in a decent shift on behalf of his kid brother.
Diego Ulissi, by the way, fancies his chances and the UAE Team Emirates rider has said he has targeted this stage for some time. Speaking to letour.com, the Italian said: “I decided to completely change my race program this year because there's not much more I can prove in the Italian races.
“I rode Paris-Nice and the Dauphiné and I came to the Tour with the aim of winning a stage, stage three being my first target. I know it won't be easy but my form is good as my second place at the Italian championship showed.”
All back together
Following their efforts, Nils Politt and Nathan Brown sat up and let their earlier breakaway companions catch up. Their advantage on the peloton is 3min 11sec.
Brown takes lead in mountains classification
Nathan Brownadds another two points to his tally in the mountains classification to become the virtual maillot à pois. By my calculations if he can take one more point on top of the penultimate climb of the day, the Côte de Villers-la-Montagne, then he is guaranteed to be wearing the polka dots on Tuesday. However, with the Côte de Villers-la-Montagne coming 15.5km from the finish line the Cannondale-Drapac rider may well have been caught, but I can't see the stage winner – who will earn himself two points in the competition – leading the bunch over a climb 15km out from the finish, he will be too busy sheltering himself and saving energy for the final push.
Spot on
Nathan Brown, the man from Texas, has dropped the German neo-pro on the lower half of the short but steep Côte d'Eschdorf climb. The Cannondale-Drapac will become virtual leader in the mountains classification if he holds on and crests this category three climb first.
95km to go
Nils Polittand Nathan Brown have clipped off the front of that six-man breakaway which, obviously, is no longer a six-man breakaway. Almost three minutes back, Juraj Sagan has been doing quite a turn on the front of the peloton on behalf of team-mate and younger brother Peter who is one of the favourites for today's stage.
Next up will be the category three Côte d'Eschdorf where two points are on offer for the first man over the top; one for second.
Politt pips Backaert
After taking the lion's share of points at the intermediate sprint, Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) chased down Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) to the top of the second category four climb of the day, the Côte de Wiltz. As it stands Taylor Phinney remains not only the actual, but the virtual maillot à pois holder too, but there are still three climbs to follow.
Full intermediate sprint details
Lunch on the go!
The peloton has eased up a little as it heads through the feedzone where riders collect their musettes from the soigneurs positioned at the side of the road. But how do riders eat on the go and what do they fuel themselves with? I met up with James Morton, Team Sky nutritionist, recently and he told us what goodies are stuffed into those cotton sacks . . .
Politt wins intermediate sprint; Cavendish earns nine points
Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) led the breakaway over the intermediate sprint to earn himself 20 points in the competition for the green jersey before two minutes later Mark Cavendish beat his sprint rivals to add nine points to his overall tally.
Mark Cavendish takes seventh place intermediate sprint! - Watch now LIVE on @ITV4pic.twitter.com/OqvAfPziCW
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 3, 2017
Although I don't think the Dimension Data rider will really be taking the points classification competition overly seriously – not while Peter Sagan is still in the race – that will come as another boost to his morale. Full details to follow.
Intermediate sprint looming
The stage leaders are pretty close to the intermediate sprint now near the small town of Wincrange. The stage leaders are pretty close to the intermediate sprint now near the small town of Wincrange. Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Nathan Brown (Cannondale-Drapac), Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal), Romain Hardy (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Romain Sicard (Direct Énergie) will take the bulk of the points before the peloton takes the rest.
134km to go
The race leaders have entered Luxembourg which is the second of three countries they will ride in today. Incidentally, there's just one rider from Luxembourg here – Ben Gastauer of Ag2r-La Mondiale – but I can't see him doing anything to bolster his countries record in the Tour de France. Luxembourg, by the way, are fifth in the all-time list of days spent in yellow per country. Unsurprisingly, France are the most successful with 709 days in yellow and are followed by Belgium (426), Italy (208) and Spain (135). Great Britain climbed to eighth today thanks to Geraint Thomas, three jerseys behind Germany and Switzerland who are joint sixth.
The breakaway's advantage is hanging at around two minutes.
145km to go
A lone Bora-Hansgrohe is pulling along the peloton just over two minutes behind the leading six-man group of Frederik Backaert, Nathan Brown, Adam Hansen, Romain Hardy, Nils Politt and Romain Sicard. Team Sky are still positioned just behind and, interestingly, Chris Froome is sitting on the wheel of maillot jauneGeraint Thomas.
Calm before the storm
Not a great deal going on out in Belgium right now, which will please a number of directeur sportifs and team principals. I'm sure things will get pretty lively later once the bunch nears Longwy. Before then, though, there's an intermediate sprint where the fastmen will contest the 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point on offer after the breakaway has scooped up the lion's share. There's also three categorised climbs – Côte de Wiltz, Côte d'Eschdorf and Côte de Villers-la-Montagne – before the final category three Côte des Religieuses so we could see a new leader in the mountains classification tomorrow, but it may stay with Cannondale-Drapac should Nathan Brown crest the climbs first.
168km to go
The leading six-man breakaway and the peloton are now back on the normal road after that brief spell on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The weather out in the Ardennes is, thankfully, dry and sunny and will be most welcome by the riders following two days in the lashing rain.
Adam Hansen is dragging along the leaders who are 1min 48sec up the road from the peloton.
Circuit training
The riders are now out on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and its a fairly lumpy one, which given it is in the middle of the Ardennes is hardly surprising. I cycled around here a couple of years ago and was struck with how difficult it was. I'd much rather pedal up a 20km Alpine climb than all this up and down nonsense.
Anyway, Quick-Step Floors are on the front of the peloton with Team Sky tucked in just behind. Incidentally, Tom Cary was saying earlier that he spoke to Sir Dave Brailsford this morning about all this farrago over the skinsuits worn in Saturday's time trial. In summary, Brailsford said the other teams needed to pull their fingers out and catch up, read the rules properly, and stop whinging.
������������������������ 6 bolides à l'avant / racing cars at the front. @F1#SpaFrancorchampspic.twitter.com/8mTsk1S8o5
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 3, 2017
The team principal also confirmed that defending champion Chris Froome and road captain Luke Rowe were both "OK" following yesterday's crash on the road to Liège.
Taking one for the team
The leading sextet of riders have now climbed up the category four Côte de Sart where there was a solitary point on offer in the mountains classification. Nathan Brown clipped off the front to take the point and, in effect, protect team-mate Taylor Phinney's maillot à pois. By the way, if you are not quite sure what all the jerseys mean at the Tour de France, don't worry we have made a natty little video to explain them ...
The breakaway's advantage has increased to a shade over two minutes.
Six of one
Three riders that were stuck between the three-man breakaway and the peloton have now caught the stage leaders. Nathan Brown, another Tour de France debutant for Cannondale-Drapac in the break following Taylor Phinney's phenomenal effort on Sunday, has joined the leading trio as has Romain Sicard, the Direct Énergie rider, and another first-timer at the race, Frederik Backaert of Belgian team Wanty-Groupe Gobert. So we have six riders from six different teams leading the stage right now.
The peloton is 1min 42sec down the road.
Motoring on ...
Before coming in to the office today I managed a cheeky couple of hours on the bike and it sounds like colleague Tom Cary did similar. I had to battle with white vans, black cabs and choppers round Regents Park. Tom, meanwhile, headed off towards Spa-Francorchamps (er, a Formula One circuit). The peloton will be heading there soon, which is probably why Tom wasn't allowed to ride on the course earlier today.
Glorious early morning ride today pre-stage 3, taking in a v hallowed place. One for my #f1 followers pic.twitter.com/kSBEiqhTfT
— Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) July 3, 2017
A three-man group, meanwhile, appears to have made the breakaway stick. Romain Hardy (Fortuneo) and Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal) have clipped off the front but there's a number of others peppered along the road trying to catch the break.
Life in the old dog yet
Sylvain Chavanel, the veteran Direct Énergie rider, has taken things up on the front but there's still no definitive breakaway. This may take a while to form.
Edging away
There's roughly nine riders in the breakaway, if you can call it a breakaway. The leaders hold an advantage of only a handful of bike lengths on the peloton as it stands. Presumably the bunch is working out whether to let them go on up the road.
And they're off
As expected, an early attack off the front of the peloton from a lone rider from Wanty-Groupe Gobert, but he was soon chased down by Lotto-Soudal rider Thomas De Gendt. Thomas Voeckler is joining in the early break in this his 15th and final Tour de France.
Poised and ready for action
The peloton is tapping away through the neutralised section, behind race director Christian Prudhomme. Once he drops his flag – normally once they reach the outskirts of town – the racing starts proper and we will see if there's going to be an early breakaway. There will be an early breakaway.
Morning all
Hello everybody and welcome to day three – and stage three – of this year's Tour de France, the 104th edition of the great race. Following Saturday's surprisingly captivating time trial around Düsseldorf and yesterday's formulaic second stage from Düsseldorf to Liège, today's third stage should, on paper at least, be a little more interesting.
The stage itself starts in Belgian classics specialist Philippe Gilbert's native town of Verviers then heads into Luxembourg for 130 kilometres of racing before concluding in Longwy on what looks like a finish that will suit the powerful punchy men, such as the aforementioned Quick-Step Floors rider, Greg van Avermaet, Michael Matthews, Michael Albasini, Michal Kwiatkowski, Edvald Boasson Hagen, John Degenkolb, and maybe even Britain's own Ben Swift who has said today is a stage he has been thinking about for some time and will suit him more than yesterday's stage when he finished in seventh spot. Oh, and then there's two-time world champion Peter Sagan. Of course today would suit everybody's favourite Slovakian and all-round good guy, but can he do the business in around five hours?
This, by the way, is the finishing line. Looks pretty gnarly.
The racing, is due to get under way in around 10 minutes when, one imagines, there will be an early breakaway go up the road. The first climb of the day, the category four Côte de Sart, comes after 18km.
The Telegraph Cycling Podcast: recap of stage two
If you missed last night's excellent podcast from the team out at the race, here it is again in all its glory ...
Stage two of the Tour de France took the riders from Germany into Belgium, where Richard Moore, Lionel Birnie and François Thomazeau convene to discuss the action and main talking points, from chaotic bunch sprints to controversial skinsuits.
We hear from Brian Holm, sports director of the stage winner, Marcel Kittel, and from Ben Swift, the British rider who was seventh.
The day’s heroes were Taylor Phinney and Yoann Offredo, the final two survivors of a breakaway that was only swept up in the final few kilometres.
At the start in Düsseldorf Richard spoke to Phinney’s mother, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, the first women’s Olympic road race champion at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. As well as supporting her son, she has some pointed things to say about women’s cycling.
We also hear from Phinney’s Cannondale-Drapac sports director, Charly Wegelius.
The Cycling Podcast is supported by Rapha and Science in Sport
