Tour de France 2015 Stage 3: Purito outpowers Froome at Wall of Huy

Stage 3 heads in 159.5 kilometres to the top of the Wall of Huy. A big crash marks the race with leader Fabian Cancellara one of the victims. After a neutralisation the race explodes at the closing climb. Chris Froome attacks and Joaquim Rodríguez takes over. The Spaniard wins the stage, but the Brit is the new overall leader, putting time into all his opponents. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage Tour de France

1. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
3. Alexis Vuillermoz (fra) + 0.04
4. Daniel Martin (irl) + 0.05
5. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 0.08
6. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.11
7. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
8. Simon Yates (gbr) s.t.
9. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
10. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.

11. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
12. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.18
14. Robert Gesink (nld) + 0.22
16. Jean-Christophe Peraud (fra) + 0.24
19. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.34
21. Romain Bardet (fra) + 0.36
26. Tony Martin (ger) + 0.40
27. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
38. Rui Costa (por) + 1.13
52. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 1.33

GC after stage 3
1. Chris Froome (gbr)
2. Tony Martin (ger) + 0.01
3. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.13
4. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 0.26
5. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 0.28
6. Peter Sagan (svk) + 0.31
7. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.34
8. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.36
9. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 1.03
10. Zdenek Stybar (cze) + 1.04

12. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 1.32
13. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.38
14. Robert Gesink (nld) + 1.39
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 1.51
17. Nairo Quintana (col) + 1.56
21. Jean-Christophe Peraud (fra) + 2.07
27. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 2.58

Race report
The flag is dropped and Serge Pauwels, Bryan Nauleau, Jan Barta and Martin Elmiger are off. They race to a maximum gain of 4 minutes and then the gap starts shrinking. With 100 km’s left it’s down to under 3 minutes and that’s the new status quo for a while, before it drops again – this time fast. With 60 km’s to go the escapees’ dream is history.

Just a moment later a big crash shakes up the peloton. Among the many victims are Cancellara, Dumoulin and Gerrans and the race is neutralised. The last two are forced to abandon.

At the top Côte de Bohisseau the race re-begins. Tinkoff-Saxo breaks up the pack in a flat section, but the cross-winds are not strong enough to do definite damage.

At the Côte d’Ereffe overall leader Cancellara is dropped, along with most sprinters. Sky is setting the pace, in the finale backed-up by Tinkoff and Etixx. At the Côte de Cherave the pack is decimated, with Pinot one of the victims.

At the steepest part of the Wall of Huy Chris Froome attacks but he is brought back by Purito, who wins the stage. But Froome is winner at the same time as he takes bonfication seconds and puts time into Van Garderen, Quintana, Nibali en Contador also.

Losers of the day Rui Costa and Thibaut Pinot, losing over one minute to Froome.