As it happenedended

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

Lawrence Ostlere

Monday 09 July 2018 15:31 BST

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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

Greg van Avermaet currently in pole position to wear the yellow jersey...

Vithushan Ehantharajah9 July 2018 16:28

Quick-Step Floors cross the line seven seconds behind BMC, and that means BMC's Greg van Avermaet will be in yellow tomorrow!

Vithushan Ehantharajah9 July 2018 16:30

Here are the final standings from stage three:

BMC

Sky +4

Quick +7

Mitchelton +9

Sunweb +11

EF +35

Bora +50

Astana +51

Katusha +52

Movistar +53

Bahrain +1'06

AG2R +1'15

LottoNL +1'15

Trek +1'16

UAE +1'38 FDJ +1'42

Fortuneo +1'46

DirectE +1'51

LottoS +1'51

Dimension +1'52

Wanty +2'24

Cofidis +3'23

Vithushan Ehantharajah9 July 2018 16:42

That's all for today. We leave you with our stage report:

BMC edge out Team Sky to win stage three team time trial