Van Avermaet in yellow as Richie Porte regains lost time
Richie Porte has clawed back some much-needed time after BMC Racing claimed victory in the team trial on the third stage of the Tour de France.
Porte, who lost 51 seconds in the opening stage after being delayed behind a pile-up, helped his team edge out Team Sky by four seconds after they completed the 35.5 kilometre circuit around Cholet in 38 minutes 46 seconds.
The team completed the course in an average speed of 54.9km per hour to claim their second Tour de France team time trial victory.
BMC's Belgian rider Greg Van Avermaet will take possession of the yellow jersey from world champion Peter Sagan.
The Solvakian's Bora Hansgrohe team finished in seventh spot, 50 seconds down on the stage winners, but he will wear the green jersey on stage four.
Sagan has won the sprinters jersey five times and is a strong favourite to claim a sixth in Paris. The three-time world champion already has a 26-point lead in the standings.
Third place went to the Quick-Step Floors team, seven seconds behind Sky.
Van Avermaet's teammate Tejay van Garderen finished on the same time to take second place overall with Sky's Geraint Thomas in third.
Mitchelton-Scott were fourth in the time trial, two seconds ahead of world champions Sunweb.
Australian green jersey contender Michael Matthews of Sunweb sits in ninth spot, 11 seconds behind Van Avermaet.
Porte has moved up to 14th, 51 seconds off the lead and 4 seconds ahead of defending champion Chris Froome who rose to 18th.
For Porte, the stage win took on special significance as it marked a year since he crashed out of last year's Tour on the decent into Chambery on the ninth stage.
"Obviously it was a tough one today but the big strong guys did a great job and it was a perfect team time trial," Porte told Cycling.com.
"It puts us right back in the game. It would have been nice not to have thrown 51 seconds away on the first day. To win with these guys is a great feeling.
"We're taking some time back on some of the other GC guys. It's still a long way to go, six more hectic days and the mountains."
Tonight's fourth stage is a flat, 195km stage in Brittany between La Baule and Sarzeau that is expected to finish in a bunch sprint.
AAP/ABC
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