THE RACE LIVE

The rider who crossed the line in third place in stage three has been relegated by the race jury. Robbie McEwen hindered the line of Stuart O’Grady in the final meters of the stage.
The new top 10 is:
1. 1. Tom Boonen (QST)
2. Peter Wrolich (GST)
3. Stuart O’Grady (COF)
4. Bernhard Eisel (FDJ)
5. Allan Davis (LWT)
6. Robert Forster (GST)
7. Magnus Backstedt (LIQ)
8. Anthony Geslin (BTL)
9. Thor Hushovd (C.A)
10. Angelo Furlan (DOM)
McEwen was relegated to 186th place - the last place of the main peloton.

Dave Zabriskie finished the third stage in the middle of the peloton. He received the same time as the stage winner and will wear the yellow jersey for the team time trial tomorrow.

The top 10 in the stage is:
1. Tom Boonen (QST)
2. Peter Wrolich (GST)
3. Robbie McEwen (DVL)
4. Stuart O’Grady (COF)
5. Bernhard Eisel (FDJ)
6. Allan Davis (LWT)
7. Robert Forster (GST)
8. Magnus Backstedt (LIQ)
9. Anthony Geslin (BTL)
10. Thor Hushovd (C.A).

Tom Boonen has won his second stage in a row. The He surged to the front of the peloton in the final 100m and easily claimed victory ahead of a field of elite sprinters.

The peloton is led by FDJ riders as it passes under the 1km to go banner. Now Credit Agricole riders are coming forward to lead out the sprint.

Cancellara has been caught by the peloton. The FDJ team is in charge of the pace setting with less than 1,500m to go.

With two kilometers to go Cancellara has taken the lead in the stage. He is committed to trying to hold off the peloton with a bold effort.

The peloton is now being led by riders from the FDJ team. They are about the catch the two escapees... but Dekker has risen from the saddle to give it one last go. He has been passed by Cancellara.

Portal and Dekker continue to swap off at the front of the stage. The peloton is only a matter of meters behind these two escapees but they won’t give in despite having been on the attack since the 27km mark.

Dekker has just glanced behind to see the peloton only about 100m behind him and Portal. There are just 4km to go in the stage and a bunch sprint is almost certain.

Quickstep riders are in charge of the peloton. They are just 8" behind the two stage leaders who have just passed under the 5km to go banner.

The two stage leaders are just 12" ahead of the peloton but there is no looking back. Dekker and Portal are less than 8km from the finish but they continue to push on with their escape... even with the peloton breathing down their necks.

There are less than 10km to go in the third stage of the 2005 Tour de France. The peloton is 15" behind Dekker and Portal who have been on the attack for 175km.

As the peloton passed the 202.5km mark it was 20" behind Dekker and Portal.

Bertogliati has been captured by the peloton. His day-long companions - Dekker and Portal - are insisting with their escape. They lead by 20".

The peloton is now just 25" behind Dekker and Portal, the two riders who attacked the peloton at the 27km mark.

There are now just two riders at the front of the stage. Bertogliati has raised the white flag and has surrendered to the pace of the peloton.
Now just Dekker and Portal remain ahead of the fast-chasing bunch.

The rider who has inheritted the polka-dot jersey thanks to his attacking efforts today, Erik Dekker, has also been voted as the most aggressive rider in the stage.

The peloton is closing in on the three leaders. It is now just 35" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The peloton is now within the final 15km of the stage. It is being led by the usual suspects - ie. riders from Davitamon-Lotto, Credit Agricole and Cofidis. Their hope is to catch the escapees and set up a sprint for McEwen, Hushovd and O’Grady. The pack is now 45" behind Dekker’s trio.

The leading trio continue to share the workload. They are 45" ahead of the peloton which has 16km to go before the finish of stage three.

The peloton is now strung out by the rapid tempo being set by riders from Cofidis, Davitamon-Lotto, Quickstep and Credit Agricole.
The three leaders are now just 50" ahead of the main pack.

The advantage of the leading trio is now just 58". The peloton is now less than 20km from the finish.

The teams of Tom Boonen, Robbie McEwen and Thor Hushovd are in charge of the pace setting duties at the head of the peloton. They are slowly closing in on the three leaders who are now 1’10" ahead.

The peloton is now less than 25km from the finish. It is 1’15" behind the group of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The finishing straight in Tours is on the Avenue de Grammont, the same one used for the Paris-Tours Classic. The final turn is 2,900m from the line. It’s a contrast to yesterday when the final turn was just 300m from the line.

With the peloton at the 184.5km mark, it was 1’15" behind the leading trio.

If tradition is anything to go by we can expect to see the three riders at the front of the stage start attacking each other soon. They have been cooperating at the front since the 27th kilometer but with the peloton only 1’20" behind, and the finish looming, we can expect to see some aggression shortly.

The advantage of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati has dropped to 1’15". They have less than 30km to race.

By claiming three points at the top of both the final climbs, Erik Dekker has a tally of six points. He will inherit the polka-dot jersey from Thomas Voeckler (who now has five points in the climbing classification).

The points for the third climb of the stage were won by:
1. Erik Dekker (RAB) 3pts
2. Rubens Bertogliati (SDV) 2pts
3. Nicolas Portal (A2R) 1pt

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now less than 1km from the third categorized climb of the stage. The top of the Cote de la Taconniere is at the 179.5km mark.
Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati lead the peloton by 1’30".

The advantage of the leading trio has grown again. Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are 1’40" ahead of peloton with about 36km to go in the 212.5km stage.
These three riders have been at the front of the race since the 27km mark when Dekker instigated the escape.

The advantage of the three leaders has dropped to 1’20". The sprinters’ teams are now all coming to the front of the peloton. The latest squad to start sending troops forward is Cofidis.
Quickstep and Davitamon-Lotto have effectively been in charge of the peloton since the feedzone (at the 93km mark). There was a brief stint by Bouyges at the head of the pack but they soon realized that there was little chance of catching the fugitives before the climbs. This was their motivation as Voeckler currently wears the polka-dot jersey.

With the peloton at the 168km mark, it is 1’30" behind the three escapees.

The cooperation of the sprinters’ teams is helping to reduce the advantage of the escapees. The latest time check has Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati 1’40" ahead of the peloton.

Several riders from Thor Hushovd’s Credit Agricole team have come to the front of the peloton to assist Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep with the pace setting duties.
Riders from these three teams filled the first three positions in stage two.

The advantage of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati on the peloton has dropped to 1’55".

The points for the 2nd climb of the stage were won by:
1. Dekker (RAB) 3pts
2. Bertogliati (SDV) 2pts
3. Portal (A2R) 1pt

Bertoliati is leading his fellow escapees on the early slopes of the second categorized climb of the stage... but he is being challenged by Dekker at the top.

The Bouyges team has conceded that the three escapees will absorb the climbing points at the end of today’s stage. Voeckler’s squad did instigates a chase for a little while but the peloton is now 2’05" behind the group of Dekker which is now less than 5km from the second categorized climb of the day.

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati have pushed their advantage back up to 2’00" in the last couple of minutes. Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep lead the peloton.

After a brief stint of pace setting at the head of the peloton by Bouyges Telecom, the bunch is now being led by riders from Quickstep and Davitamon-Lotto again.

The peloton is now being led by the Quickstep team. This group is now 60km from the finish of the stage. It is 1’45" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

With the advantage of the leading trio down to 1’50", Rubens Bertogliati is no longer the virtual leader of the Tour.
Dave Zabriskie began the stage with a lead over the Swiss Saunier Duval-Prodir rider of 2’13". The winner of stage one looks likely to keep the yellow jersey for tomorrow’s team time trial.

As the peloton passed the 142km mark, it was 1’45" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati. The Bouyges Telecom team continues to set the pace of the main pack.

The pace setting by the Bouyges Boys is having an effect. The peloton is now 2’05" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The Bouyges Telecom team is now at the front of the peloton and they are setting a rapid pace to reel in the escape group. It seems that Voeckler is interested in maintaining his lead in the climbing classification. He claimed three points yesterday and added another two to his tally on the first climb of today’s stage.
There are two more cat-4 rises in the final 50km of today’s stage (at 161.5km and 179.5km).

At the site of the third intermediate sprint, the peloton is 2’30" behind the leading trio.

The leading trio begain their move at the 27th kilometer mark. They have an advantage on the peloton of 2’50" at the moment and have been at the front of the stage for 110km.

The points for the sprint in Les Trois-Moutiers (137km) were won by:
1. Rubens Bertogliati (SDV) 6pts/6"
2. Erik Dekker (RAB) 4pts/4"
3. Nicolas Portal (A2R) 2pts/2"
The peloton is 2’50" behind the three escapees.

The leading trio are getting close to the third intermediate sprint of the stage. This is in Les Trois-Moutiers at the 137km mark.

The average speed for the third hour of racing in stage three is 44.9km/h. The average for the first three hours combined is 44.3km/h.

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now 3’00" ahead of the peloton which is at the 131km mark.

The leading trio have an advantage over the peloton of 3’40". Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now less than 85km from the finish.

There are a number of Rabobank riders now coming to the front of the peloton. It’s unlikely, however, that they will contribute to the pace setting duties as they have a rider in today’s escape.

The peloton is still being led by the Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep teams. Their chase made a rapid impression by pulling back the leading trio from 5’30"to 3’40". In the last few minutes, however, the escapees have increased their effort and are maintaining their advantage.

The finish of today’s stage is on the Avenue de Grammont in Tours. It’s the same site as the finish of the late-season one-day Classic, Paris-Tours.
The rider who began the attack today, Erik Dekker, was victorious in this race last year. The Rabobank rider attacked early in the day and held off the fast-chasing peloton by a matter of meters last October.

With the peloton at the 114km mark, it was 3’30" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

If the last half hour is any indication of what’s yet to come, we can expect to see another bunch sprint at the end of the stage. The Quickstep and Davitamon-Lotto teams have been sharing the chasing duties since the feedzone. The bunch is now 3’45" behind the three escapees.
The maximum gain of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati was 5’30".

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now in Le Puy-Notre-Dame at the 113km mark. They have 99.5km to race and have a lead on the peloton of 4’00".

While the tallest rider leads the bunch, the shortest rider is bringing up the rear. Samuel Dumoulin is heavily bandaged after crashing near the end of stage two. The AG2R rider is 158cm tall.

Johan van Summeren is currently setting the pace for the peloton. He is the tallest man in this year’s Tour (at 198cm).

The peloton is closing in rapidly on the leading trio. After reaching a maximum gain of 5’30" (at the 93km mark) Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now 4’20" ahead.
The work at the front of the bunch continues to be shared by riders from the Quickstep and Davitamon-Lotto teams. They are looking to set up a sprint finish for Boonen and McEwen.

The effort of the Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep teams at the front of the peloton has had a rapid effect. The peloton is now just 5’00" behind the three escapees.

Today will be the seventh time that a stage of the Tour de France has concluded in Tours. The last visit was in 2000 when Leon van Bon won the stage.

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati have lost some of their advantage on the peloton already. After peaking at 5’30", Dekker’s trio is now 5’20" ahead.

With the leading trio 5’30" ahead of the peloton, the sprinters’ teams have decided it’s time to start chasing. Davitamon-Lotto and Quickstep riders are at the head of the peloton.

As the peloton exits the feedzone, Servais Knaven of the Quickstep team has come to the front of the peloton. He looks as though he’s interested in starting to chase down the escapees.
The Quickstep boys have been joined by Davitamon-Lotto riders at the head of the peloton. They have decided it’s time to try and reel in Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati in the hope of setting up a sprint finish.

The peloton has arrived in the feedzone (at 93km). It is 5’30" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The leading trio are now in the feedzone (at the 93km mark). Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati have pushed their advantage on the peloton up to 5’30".

The peloton continues to be led by the CSC team. This group is in Vihiers at the 87.5km mark. Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati have a lead of 5’00".

The peloton is now five minutes behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The second hour of stage three was raced at an average speed of 45.4km/h. The average for the first two hours is 44.0km/h.

As the three escapees ride through the town of Vihiers (at the 87.5km mark), the peloton was 4’50" behind.

The peloton is being led by the yellow jersey’s CSC team. Also near the front are riders from the Gerolsteiner squad. The main pack doesn’t appear to be too interested in chasing the three escapees and is currently 4’40" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The points for the sprint in Coron were won by:
1. Nicolas Portal (A2R) 6pts/6"
2. Rubens Bertogliati (SDV) 4pts/4"
3. Erik Dekker (RAB) 2pts/2"
The peloton was 4’40" behind the three escapees.

The peloton is now 4’20" behind Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati.

The leaders are getting close to the site of the second intermediate sprint. This ’prime’ is in Coron at the 79km mark.

Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are still well ahead of the peloton. The escapees have a lead of 4’10".

This year marks the 20th year of ’Reporters Sans Frontieres’ - an organisation established to protect the freedom of the press. To mark this anniversary a special book has been published relating to the impact of journalism on the history of the Tour de France.
With the cooperation of one of the Tour’s sponsor, Konica-Minolta, the riders will wear a special race number which has both the logo of the sponsor as well as that of Reporters Sans Frontiere.

The three escapees have pushed their advantage over the peloton up to 4’05". The move began at the 27km mark with an attack from Dekker. He was joined by Portal and later Bertogliati.

One of the riders in the lead group only found out that he was riding the Tour two days before the start. He was a late replacement for his Saunier Duval-Prodir team-mate Inigo Cuesta who had to forfeit his place in the race because of injuries.

The peloton was 3’55" behind the leading trio at the 57.5km mark.

The last time Rubens Bertogliati contested the Tour de France (in 2002) he not only won a stage but also wore the yellow jersey.
The Swiss rider is currently the virtual leader as he’s the best-placed in general classification the three escapees.

The leading trio are now in Cholet (at the 57.5km mark). A stage of the 1998 Tour concluded in this town. Jeroen Blijlevens won the stage and Stuart O’Grady claimed his first yellow jersey.

The current advantage of the three leaders is 3’25". This means that Rubens Bertogliati is the virtual leader of the Tour de France.
He began the day in 69th place in general classification (2’13" behind Zabriskie).
Erik Dekker, who began the attack at the 27km mark was in 78th place at the start of the stage (2’19" behind Zabriskie).
Nicolas Portal was 139th, at 2’53" after two stages.

The leading trio of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati are now at the 50km mark. The last time check had them 3’25" ahead of the peloton.

The average speed of the first hour in stage three is 42.6km/h.
_ Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati have pushed their advantage on the peloton to 3’25" after an hour of racing.

The CSC team is leading the peloton which was 2’50" behind at Le Puy-de-Fou (38.5km).

The leading trio - Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati - are now at the 38.5km mark. This is near Le Puy-de-Fou, the site of the Grande Depart in 1999 when Lance Armstrong earned his first yellow jersey by winning the prologue.

The leading trio are now 2’30" ahead of the peloton. Alas, race radio has not given the kilometer mark for this time check.

Two of the three riders who are currently leading the stage have previously won a stage of the Tour.
Rubens Bertogliati (SDV) claimed the first stage of the 2002 Tour with a cunning move in the final kilometer in Luxembourg.
Erik Dekker (RAB) has earned four stage victories - three in 2000 and one in Pontarlier in 2001.

The CSC team has come to the front of the peloton which is now 1’25" behind the leading trio. The advantage of Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati has grown largely due to the fact that riders in the main pack have decided that it’s time to answer the call of nature...

The three escapees - Dekker, Portal and Bertogliati - have an advantage on the peloton of 40".

The points for the intermediate sprint in St-Michel-Mont-Mercure (at 29km) were won by:
1. Dekker (RAB) 6pts/6"
2. Bertogliati (SDV) 4pts/4"
3. Portal (A2R) 2pts/2"

Rubens Bertogliati has chased down the two stage leaders. There are now three riders ahead of the peloton - Portal (A2R), Dekker (RAB) and Bertogliati (SDV). They are less than 1km from the site of the first intermediate sprint.

At the 27km mark Erik Dekker (RAB) and Nicolas Portal (A2R) are 5" ahead of the peloton.

After a brief flurry of action on the approach to the first climb, the peloton has regrouped.

The points at the top of the Cote de Pouzauges were won by:
1. Fabian Wegmann (GST) 3pts
2. Thomas Voeckler (BTL) 2pts
3. Laurent Brochard (BTL) 1pt

There are also three categorized climbs during the third stage. There has been an acceleration from Thomas Voeckler (the current climbing classification leader), Laurent Brochard and Fabian Wegmann on the approach of the first ascent.
The Cote de Pouzauges peaks at the 22km mark.
The last two climbs are the Cote de Chinon (at 161.5km) and the Cote de la Taconniere (at 179.5km).

There are three intermediate sprints during stage three. Each offer both points for the green jersey classification and time bonuses for the first three riders across the line.
The sprints are in Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure (at the 29km mark), Coron (at 79km) and Les Trois-Moutiers (at 137km).

After two stages of the 92nd Tour de France the prize jerseys are worn by the following riders:
Yellow: Dave Zabriskie (CSC) – he leads Lance Armstrong (DSC) and Laszlo Bodrogi (C.A) in the general classification. The Hungarian Credit Agricole rider moved up two places yesterday thanks to time bonuses earned during the stage to Les Essarts.
Green: Tom Boonen (QST) – the stage winner yesterday has 35pts, five more than the runner-up in the second stage, Thor Hushovd (C.A).
Polka-Dot: Thomas Voeckler (BTL) – last year’s revelation was involved in the long escape during stage two. He maintained his effort until the climb at the 165km mark and then outsprinted David Canada to claim the three points at the top of the category-four ascent.
White: Fabian Cancellara (FAS) – the winner of the prologue in 2004 is the best rider in the general classification who was born after 1979. He leads last year’s Youth Classification winner Vladimir Karpets by just three seconds.

Philippe Gilbert’s attack is over. He was caught by a fast-moving peloton at the 15km mark.

The stage leader, Gilbert, is now in the town of Reamur at the 13.5km mark. He is 40" ahead of the peloton.

The counter attack by Posthuma has been reeled in by the peloton. Once again we have just one leader. Philippe Gilbert (FDJ) began his attack at the 4km mark. He is now 25" ahead of the bunch. We don’t have news about what kilometer the peloton is at.

Joost Posthuma is chasing the stage leader, Gilbert. The Dutch Rabobank rider is 20" behind the Belgian Francaise des Jeux escapee and 10" ahead of the peloton.

The attack by Brochard didn’t last long. He and Eisel have already been caught by the peloton.
At the 8km mark, there was just one rider ahead of the peloton. Gilbert (FDJ) has a lead of 30".

Laurent Brochard has counter-attacked. He has been followed by Bernhard Eisel. At the 7km mark, Gilbert led the chasers by 50" and the peloton by 55".

A rider from the Davitamon-Lotto team has punctured his rear tyre.

The peloton hasn’t reacted to Gilbert’s attack. The FDJ rider is at the front of the stage on his own with a lead of 50".

Philippe Gilbert of the La Francaise des Jeux team is the first rider to attack in stage three. The young Belgian began his move at the 4km mark. He is now 20" ahead of the peloton.

The official start of the third stage was at 12.29pm. There are 189 riders still in the race.
There have been no early attacks.

There were several crashes during yesterday’s stage. None of the riders involved sustained serious injuries. Below is a summary of who was caught up in the accidents. At the 23km mark, the following riders crashed:
Iker Flores (EUS)
Ludovic Turpin (A2R)
Daniel Becke (IBA)
Stephane Goubert (A2R)
Jose Enrique Gutierrez (PHO)

At the 80km mark, the following riders crashed:
Jaan Kirsipuu (C.A)
Iker Camano (EUS)
Johan Van Summeren (DVL)

At the 138km mark, the following riders crashed:
Claudio Corioni (FAS)
Samuel Dumoulin (A2R)

All of them are still in the race.

The 212.5km route for stage three visits five departments. It begins in the Vendee region, before going through Deux-Sevres, Maine-et-Loire and Vienne. The last 60 kilometers are in Indre-et-Loire.

The peloton is currently rolling along in the 4km neutral zone on the way to the site of the official start on the outskirts of La Chataigeraie.

The weather bureau has reported that the temperature at the start of the third stage in La Chataigneraie is 18 degrees Celsius in the air. At road level it’s 28 degrees.
There is a chance of rain during the stage. There were overnight storms but the road is dry for the start of the 212.5km stage to Tours.

The 212.5km third stage of the 92nd Tour de France is scheduled to begin at 12.20pm. The conditions are cooler than stage two and the weather bureau has forecast showers mid-way through the stage from La Chataigneraie to Tours in the Indre-et-Loire department.
There are four kilometers of neutral zone before the riders reach the site of the official start. Live coverage will begin once the flag is dropped to signal the beginning of the stage.