Tour de France LIVE stage 3: Team time trial latest updates and start times as BMC lead Team Sky
The race is set to be given a shake-up as each team is put to the test in a time trial, with Team Sky aiming to put Geraint Thomas in the yellow jersey
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Your support makes all the difference.Stage three of the Tour de France might just be the best indicator yet of what's to come: a 35.5km team time trial around Cholet to test the inner workings of all 22 teams in this race.
In a team trial, each rider is awarded the time of their overall team, and it means the general classification is likely to be given a vigorous shake-up. Team trialling is a difficult skill to master and those groups who haven't put in the work to get in sync and maximise their power will pay the penalty as a group.
Among the favourites are BMC Racing and Team Sky, who both sense the opportunity to get their highest rider in the general classification – Greg van Avermaet and Geraint Thomas respectively – into the yellow jersey currently worn by Peter Sagan.
Follow all the latest below with our live blog (and scroll to the bottom for all the start times):
Prediction
Hard to call without much to go on, but given the strength in depth of BMC we'll go with the American team edging out Team Sky, Mitchelton-Scott and Movistar.
Odds
Team Sky 8/13
BMC 5/2
Sunweb 10/1
Quick-Step Floors 20/1
Mitchelton-Scott 25/1
Start times
All times local, subtract one hour for BST:
1. Mitchelton-Scott (Aus) 15:10
2. Team Sky (GBr) 15.15
3. Movistar Team (Esp) 15.20
4. Groupama-FDJ (Fra) 15.25
5. BMC Racing Team (USA) 15.30
6. EF Education First-Drapac (USA) 15.35
7. UAE Team Emirates (UAE) 15.40
8. Ag2r La Mondiale (Fra) 15.45
9. Fortuneo-Samsic (Fra) 15.50
10. Direct Energie (Fra) 15.55
11. Lotto-Soudal (Bel) 16.00
12. LottoNL-Jumbo (Ned) 16.05
13. Cofidis, Solutions Credits (Fra) 16.10
14. Team Sunweb (Ger) 16.15
15. Team Dimension Data (RSA) 16.20
16. Katusha-Alpecin (Sui) 16.25
17. Bahrain-Merida (Brn) 16.30
18. Trek-Segafredo (USA) 16.35
19. Astana Pro Team (Kaz) 16.40
20. Wanty-Groupe Gobert (Bel) 16.45
21. Quick-Step Floors (Bel) 16.50
22. Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger) 16.55
The next team off the start line might just be the best of the rest: Team Sunweb, with time trial monster Tom Dumoulin amongst their number. They are the world team time trial champions and will have their sights firmly set on BMC's leading mark.
The gaps are starting to form, here. Ag2r La Mondiale cross in sixth place, 1 min 15 sec down on BMC's leading mark, and that is a blow Romain Bardet's general classification hopes.
Astana after off, and after losing Luis Leon Sanchez to the fracture of four ribs and an elbow, this is all about damage limitation for the remaining seven members of the team.
Team Sunweb pass the second time check 13 seconds down on BMC and it looks as if they will not be claiming the victory on stage three.
Sunweb cross the line in a provisional fourth place, 12 seconds behind Team BMC. The final team off the start line: Peter Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe.
What has happened to Quick-Step Floors? They have split up into little groups, all struggling, and they are going to lose serious time here – which will send Fernando Gaviria down the general classification standings.
Peter Sagan seems to be struggling a little, holding his hand up to indicate he's finding the going tough, and his Bora-Hansgrohe team relax the pace.
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