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Tour de France: BMC win stage three team time trial

July 9, 2018

Belgian Greg van Avermaet is the new overall leader after Peter Sagan’s team left him trailing, crossing the line 50 seconds slower than the leaders. Chris Froome has cut down the deficit and is 18th.

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Tour de France Team BMC Mannschaftszeitfahren
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier

BMC Racing finished the 35-kilometer stage three in 38 minutes and 46 seconds. Chris Froome's Team Sky finished just four seconds behind. The defending Tour de France champion, who was booed by the local fans, made up lost time from the first two stages and is now in 18th, 55 seconds off the top spot.

"It was an unbelievable day and a really hard test for us,” said Froome after the race.

Van Avermaet earned the yellow jersey just ahead of American teammate Tejay van Garderen, who moved up to second overall, with the same time as Van Avermaet.  "Right now it is more about chest-thumping and psychological advantages. It just shows that we are here, too, and let's get it on," Van Garderen said.

Previous leader Peter Sagan already knew he'd have to give up the yellow jersey after just one day as the three-time World Champion was dropped by his Bora-Hansgrohe teammates, who finished the stage in seventh.

Germany's Team Sunweb finished fifth, 12 seconds behind winners BMC.

The Tour resumes tomorrow with the 195 km flat stage four that runs between La Baule and Sarzeau.

ftm/jh (Reuters, SID, AP)