Tour de France 2023 stage 3 LIVE: Result and winner of bunch sprint in Bayonne

Jasper Philipsen sprinted to victory on stage three of the Tour de France as Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey in Bayonne.

Philipsen had the power to hold off Phil Bauhaus and Caleb Ewan on a slight uphill to the line as Mark Cavendish, seeking a record-breaking 35th career Tour stage victory, came home in sixth place.

Wout van Aert, second on Sunday’s stage in San Sebastian, had tried to challenge Philipsen in the finale but found himself squeezed against the barriers and sat up at the line.

Follow all the latest updates from stage three below:

Tour de France 2023

• Jasper Philipsen wins stage 3 in bunch sprint in Bayonne

• Mark Cavendish finishes sixth in encouraging performance

• Adam Yates retains yellow jersey on quiet day for general classification contenders

Jasper Philipsen sprints to stage three win as Adam Yates remains in yellow

17:54 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jasper Philipsen was made to wait to start his celebrations after sprinting to victory on stage three of the Tour de France as Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey in Bayonne.

Philipsen took the win ahead of Phil Bauhaus and Caleb Ewan, with Mark Cavendish, seeking a record-breaking 35th Tour stage victory, coming home in sixth, but there was a wait after the stage for the results to be confirmed as the race jury looked to see if Philipsen had impeded Wout Van Aert.

The sprint finish meant there were no major changes at the top of the general classification, with Adam Yates remaining six seconds ahead of UAE Emirates team-mate Tadej Pogacar and twin brother Simon Yates of Jayco-Alula.

On a tight, twisty finish to the stage, characterised by a string of roundabouts and a sharp hairpin two kilometres from the line, Philipsen was delivered into position by Alpecin-Deceuninck team-mate Mathieu van der Poel for the drag up to the line.

Fellow Belgian Van Aert was on his right and challenging for the win, but with a slight kink to the right before the line, the Jumbo-Visma man found himself trapped up against the barriers, sitting up to roll in fifth.

Having been declared the winner, Philipsen went down to the podium to conduct his interviews, but was then asked to wait and ultimately called in to speak to the race jury before the result was confirmed, with Philipsen having not deviated from his line.

Jasper Philipsen sprints to stage three win as Adam Yates remains in yellow

Tour de France 2023 - Jersey round-up

17:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle

No changes in any of the classifications - it’s as you were in terms of the jersey wearers for tomorrow. Jasper Philipsen and Victor Lafay are tied on 80 points, but the Frenchman retains green on account of his place higher up in the GC standings:

Yellow: Simon Yates (UAE Team Emirates)

White: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

Green: Victor Lafay (Cofidis)

Polka Dot: Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

And Laurent Pichon (Arkea-Samsic) has won today’s combativity prize for all of his breakaway efforts.

Tour de France 2023

17:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And here’s what tomorrow’s 182km jaunt from Dax to Nogaro looks like as the Tour heads inland.

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:31 , Harry Latham-Coyle

That’s two Tour de France sprint stages in a row for Jasper Philipsen, of course, with the Belgian closing last year’s edition with victory on the Champs-Elysees. He’ll fancy making it three tomorrow, too - it looks another day for the sprinty types, with even fewer lumps and bumps to deal with than today.

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:23 , Lawrence Ostlere in Bayonne

That was a thrilling finish to a sleepy day for the crowds here in Bayonne, where hundreds packed the bridge over the Nive river 300m before the finish. Jasper Philipsen has been widely tipped to enjoy a big Tour de France, and on this evidence – with the perfectly timed leadout train of Mathieu van der Poel to rely on – that will not be the last time we see him celebrate over the next few weeks. Mark Cavendish finished a very creditable sixth, encouraging signs as he bids for No 35.

And here is our stage winner Jasper Philipsen

17:22 , Harry Latham-Coyle

“It was a bit in doubt! They made it really exciting in the end...

“It was tense but that is the Tour de France, there are no presents for anybody, everyone goes all in. We can be really happy with our team performance today - I had a great lead-out, Mathieu did a fantastic job. It’s amazing - if he has the space to go, for sure he has the speed, and you know no other lead-out will pass him.

“It was a tricky final with the S bend in the end, so I tried to take the shortest route to the finish. There was already stress in the bunch with 70km to go, everyone fighting for the win.”

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:19 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jasper Philipsen has been called out of the winner’s chair as the UCI commissaires review the finish. The French broadcaster has suggested that the result has been upheld...

And Philipsen comes out of the stewards’ tent with a broad grin on his face - the win is, indeed, his.

Mathieu van der Poel speaks to Eurosport after helping Jasper Philipsen to victory

17:16 , Harry Latham-Coyle

“Yesterday I tried to save as much energy as possible because I knew it would be hard today for the first sprint stage. We did a perfect lead-out for him.

“Coming in here, I knew my shape was good but the last two days I wasn’t riding with the legs I had before the Tour. I’m happy we have this win and now we’ll go for another one.”

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:14 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Hmm. Jasper Philipsen doesn’t look entirely confident as he sits waiting for the result to be ratified. Tadej Pogacar comes over for a chat, working through the footage of the final sprint. Philipsen shouldn’t have anything to fear - he didn’t deviate off his line, simply followed the bend.

Jumbo-Visma may well lodge a complaint, but the problem seemed to be the barriers, which jutted out in quite an unsafe manner in those final few hundred metres . Philipsen looks very, very nervous though.

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle

No major changes at the top of the general classification, of course, with the bunch given the same time and none of those who took bonus seconds troubling the race leaders. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) remains in yellow; his teammate Tadej Pogacar in white.

The top of the GC continues to look like this:

1. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)

2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

3. Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla)

4. Victor Lafay (Cofidis)

5. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

6. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

7. Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech)

8. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Jasper Philipsen wins Stage Three of the Tour de France

17:07 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Wout van Aert seemed a little frustrated at the finish there, sitting up and shaking his head after being slightly boxed in by Philipsen. I don’t think there was anything untoward from the Belgian that will result in relegation, Van Aert caught against the barriers due to the road’s natural curve and making the right call not to try and push through.

Two near misses in a row for Jumbo-Visma’s do-everything superstar having appeared well placed.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three result

17:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle

1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

2. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious)

3. Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny)

4. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep)

5. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

JASPER PHILIPSEN WINS STAGE THREE OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE!

17:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The favourite delivers! Alpecin-Deceuninck got it pretty much spot on, prepared to hit the front early and keep in control. Mathieu van der Poel cleared the way, releasing Jasper Philipsen inside the final few hundred metres.

Wout van Aert tried to come up the inside but was left short of room as the road bent, and Philipsen had the power to hold off the fast finishing Phil Bauhaus and Caleb Ewan.

JASPER PHILIPSEN WINS STAGE THREE OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE!

16:58 , Harry Latham-Coyle

1km to go

16:57 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Into a dip, and under the flamme rouge.

1km to go. Alpecin-Deceuninck perfectly placed - Van der Poel leading the way for Philipsen.

1.5km to go

16:56 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Wout van Aert will sprint - he’s got Christophe Laporte to help him out.

Mathieu van der Poel is guiding Jasper Philipsen up the centre. Caleb Ewan right with them; Peter Sagan, too.

2km to go

16:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Biniam Girmay is moved up the left of the road, in behind Soudal-QuickStep, setting things up for Fabio Jakobsen. UnoX are there - can Alexander Kristoff produce something for the Scandanavians?

3km to go

16:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The speed is more than 60km/h as the sprinters begin to kick into gear and the GC men just start to fade back. Under the 3km banner - everyone is safe.

5km to go

16:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton sweeps through a roundabout, the natural curve stringing out the bunch. A couple of Ineos Grenadiers riders look back into the bunch, checking that Carlos Rodriguez, Egan Bernal and co. are where they need to be.

6km to go

16:52 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jumbo-Visma move to the front now - Wout van Aert looks like he might be sprinting, out to avenge yesterday’s error.

Up a little rise as we come into Bayonne.

7km to go

16:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Soudal-QuickStep are driving it on, with Groupama-FDJ up the front, too. The French team left Arnaud Demare at home of course - protecting the diminutive David Gaudu is surely their objective.

Lotto-Dstny fancy this, by the looks of things. Caleb Ewan looks calm and confident.

9km to go

16:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle

You can almost feel that nervous tension in the peloton as we approach that string of roundabouts. Jasper Philipsen ends up out of position at the first of them, and has to really work to get back into a prime spot having been squeezed back down the field.

11km to go

16:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It’s already getting a little bit chaotic, even on these wide motorway roads on the approach to Bayonne. It’s going to be a hectic finale - for those without sprint options, guiding their general classification contenders safely to the 3km mark is the key.

15km to go

16:43 , Harry Latham-Coyle

I like the look of Intermarche Circus Wanty’s train, too - Mike Teunissen and Dion Smith are on bodyguard duties for the brilliantly talented Biniam Girmay, a standout on debut at the Giro last year before a stray popped cork from a celebratory bottle of champagne ended his race early.

18km to go

16:38 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Mark Cavendish is right in the heart of things - he’s got one teammate directly alongside him and several other Astana riders nearby. Cavendish suggested last night that he might take time to reach top form in this Tour, as he did at the Giro. Cees Bol is presumably his last lead-out man - the hulking Dutchman could prove pretty useful if Cavendish is to break the record.

20km to go

16:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The pack concertinas as they hit an incline, allowing the stragglers to latch back on.

22km to go

16:31 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The high pace at the front is going to make positioning crucial as we near the finish - moving up is going to be mightily difficult, particularly through all of the road furniture in Bayonne.

23km to go

16:29 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Laurent Pichon is beginning to pay for his efforts in the breakway - the Breton has dropped through the peloton and will be spending more time on his lonesome.

26km to go

16:27 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The pace remains exceptionally high. UnoX come to the front - the hardy, experienced Alexander Kristoff could be in the mix at the finish - while Ineos are up their, too, making sure that their group of protected riders are safe and secure.

34km to go

16:18 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton fans out across the road, eight lines of similarly clothed riders as the teams keep their leaders safe at the front. Positioning will be crucial on the final run-in, with a series of three or four roundabouts just before that vital 3km mark that could pose a few problems.

37km to go

16:14 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The catch is made - Laurent Pichon’s grand day out is over and we are all back together for the final run to Bayonne.

It’s going to be fast and furious from here on in.

38 km to go

16:12 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Lotto-Dstny have been slightly quiet today, but have now joined the rest of the sprinters’ teams towards the front. All of their eggs are in Caleb Ewan’s basket this year - there’s plenty of pressure on the slightly mercurial Australia, at his best probably the fastest in the field but short of his best over the last 12 months or so.

41 km to go

16:08 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Laurent Pichon’s race will soon be run - he’s pulled the cord and is soon to be enveloped by the peloton, now just 15 sconds behind.

48km to go

16:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle

While we swept over the day’s categorised climbs during the first half of the stage, there are still some ups and downs to negotiate - there are plenty of undulations on the road up to Bayonne, as anyone who has been to the French part of the Basque Country will attest. Laurent Pichon keeps his legs pounding on the pedals as he comes down from one little lump, hoping to extend his adventure out the front for as long as possible.

51km to go

15:57 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Lidl-Trek and Soudal-QuickStep, through the ever willing and able Tim Declercq, also show their faces at the front, bringing that gap down towards 60 seconds. It’s very much been as we expected today.

52km to go

15:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Pichon may be starting to fade - the peloton have taken 30 seconds out of his advantage in short order, with Alpecin-Deceuninck and Jayco-AlUla doing much of the hard graft on the front as they try to set things up for Jasper Philipsen and Dylan Groenewegen respectively.

58km to go

15:47 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And now the peloton have arrived on French soil, too, over the bridge into the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It really is a beautiful part of the world, the Basque coast, all the more so with three-deep crowds walking up from the beach to line the streets and cheer Laurent Pichon and the rest on.

62km to go

15:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle

There are a few reports that all of these punctures have been caused by yet more throwing of tacks into the road. It’s the second day in a row that the race has been targeted - it does seem like very odd behaviour and is rather blotting what has otherwise been an excellent exhibition of the Basque Country’s charms.

Laurent Pichon has crossed the border - a sweeping left hander and, for the first time this year, the Tour de France is in, well, France.

To Bayonne!

67km to go

15:33 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Let’s learn a little more about our lone leader, then. There’s not much on Laurent Pichon’s palmares to get excited about but the Brittany-born rouleur has hung around the French-speaking parts of the peloton for a long time. This is his third Tour, but his first appearance in five years.

A seventh place at the quirky Brittany race Tro Bro Leon is his best result this season. It’s always a fun date on the calendar, the so-called Petit Paris-Roubaix, a rough romp around farm tracks and other unpaved roads that sees the winner presented with a piglet.

71km to go

15:26 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It feels like we’ve had more mechnanicals than usual today - Rui Costa and Alexey Lutsenko are among the latest bunch of unfortunate bike riders forced back to the car for a change of wheel.

Lonely Laurent Pichon’s advantage is two minutes and 45 seconds.

74km to go

15:22 , Harry Latham-Coyle

With a bag of bottles draped over his shoulder, Neilson Powless is heartily welcomed back by his EF teammates in the bunch.

77km to go

15:17 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Neilson Powless’s day is done - an eleven point King of the Mountains lead safely secured, he leaves Laurent Pichon to go it alone at the front, sitting up and waiting to be swallowed up by the peloton.

How Mark Cavendish became a Tour de France legend

15:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Mark Cavendish once gave me the look.

It was an interview in a hotel lobby in Yorkshire; he was slightly late and apologised profusely, then answered questions about the Tour de France with enthusiastic detail. For some reason I thought 10 minutes of flowing conversation made me his trusted confidant, so I looked him in the eyes and asked: how much do you want to break Eddy Merckx’s Tour stage record? He shrugged it off. But what would it mean to you? He went quiet. Wouldn’t it crown your legacy?

The look was somewhere in the venn diagram of anger and disdain, and I half expected him to walk off. He stayed, but it was clear he didn’t want to talk about the record, and in that brief moment I felt the gentlest prod of his famous spikiness. Cavendish was once asked what he’d learned from a difficult day on the bike. “That journalists sometimes ask some stupid f***ing questions,” he replied.

Could this be the day that Mark Cavendish breaks Eddy Merckx’s record? Lawrence Ostlere speaks to some of the Manxman’s closest allies - and fiercest rivals - to find out what makes him special.

How Mark Cavendish became a Tour de France legend – according to rivals and teammates

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

15:04 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The rear of the peloton just becomes cramped a little bit on a steep bend on the day’s final climb, forcing a few riders at the back to come to a complete stop. Matteo Trentin is the last to get going again, pushing between the Basque flags and up the remaining metres of the ascent.

Right, that’s all of that dealt with - 90km of largely flat roads to come.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Seven points more to Neilson Powless across today’s four minor climbs, with the EF rider trying to set himself up for a period in polka dots. Someone with his sort of climbing ability will fancy his chances of clinging on to the jersey for a few more days. EF could be a bit of a wildcard for the remainder of the race after losing Richard Carapaz to injury in the opening stage.

A message comes through from an Arkea Samsic directeur sportif to Laurent Pichon, asking the Frenchman to try and keep the break going and secure the day’s combativity prize, for which you’d think he might already be a shoo-in.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Laurent Pichon and Neilson Powless have one more third category climb to negotiate before they can throttle right down and prepare for the peloton’s embrace. Pichon has a chuckle with his polka-dotted partner - he’ll have made his team happy with all this visibility on a day where the Breton-based outfit are unlikely to figure in the final stage equation.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Chris Juul-Jensen of Team Jayco-AlUla on the front setting the tempo. Dylan Groenewegen will be their option at the finish today, you’d think - the Dutchman was impressive at the Tour of Slovenia in June with a couple of stage wins, and he’s got a pretty good group around him to set him up for the sprint, with Luka Mezgec a fast finisher in his own right.

97km left. 1 minute and 30 seconds is the gap to our two leaders.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:39 , Harry Latham-Coyle

O’Connor is in bother again as the peloton cruise along the coast, requiring a bike change. Teammate Nans Peters offers his assistance, ready to again bring his team leader back into the main bunch.

AG2R are in a bit of a weird spot if O’Connor isn’t on top form - in Aurelien Paret-Peintre and Benoit Cosnefroy, they have a couple of punchy Frenchmen who could prove dangerous if given free rein to go stage hunting later in the race, but they’ll be reluctant to let the pair off the leash if O’Connor has any shot at an overall top ten. Ordinarily, Paret-Peintre might even have the climbing legs to get himself in the general classification mix, but he’s already ridden the Giro this year, so unlikely to be able to sustain the sort of effort required.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:32 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton’s pace has eased, with the break’s gap restored to a comfortable two and a half minutes.

Ben O’Connor has just rejoined the peloton, aided by a couple of AG2R teammates and hoping to put a tough weekend behind him. It’s not been a pretty start to the Tour for the Australian, who has lost time on both stages so far to suggest his hopes of a genuine GC tilt are slim. It’s a real shame for a rider who had so impressed in finishing fourth in 2021 - you may remember he had a pretty tough time of things last year, forced to ride on longer than he should have with a painful looking glute injury.

“Strangely, I’m simply not good enough at the moment,” O’Connor told CyclingNews overnight. “It’s not ideal, but it doesn’t mean I can’t finish in the top ten of the final standings. We now get two sprint days and then we have the Pyrenees. I will continue to do my best and see if the top ten is still possible.”

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:27 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Back to the men, and there’s about 110 kilometres or so before our dash through Bayonne decides our Stage Three victor. Might Wout van Aert be in the mix after his near miss yesterday? Everything appeared perfectly set up for him yesterday before Victor l‘a fait, the Jumbo-Visma rider comfortably the fastest in the reduced group that came home seconds behind the Cofidis rider.

Van Aert appeared a little aggrieved by the lack of help he received from Jonas Vingegaard in those last few kilometres, slapping his handlebars as he crossed the line, but the brilliant Belgian has said there is no lasting frustration.

““Of course we discussed with the team what happened,” Van Aert said this morning. “We always want to win and if we can’t, we look at what we could have done better. It wasn’t an easy situation in the final either.

“[Vingegaard] did make sure I had the chance to go for the win,”

“If he cooperated with Pogacar after the Jaizkibel - and we were far behind - then I had no chance of victory. However, he could have put a lot of competitors for the classification behind there.”

“If you see how it turned out in the end, maybe Jonas could have done more at the end. But that’s also hindsight. It’s racing, not a computer game. So the criticism of him is unjustified.”

“The Tour is 3 weeks. There are still many chances to come, starting already today.”

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle

While many of the best male bike riders in the world continue their weave towards France, much of the women’s peloton is in Italy for the Giro Donne. Annemiek van Vleuten laid down an early marker with a solo victory on Saturday and has extended her lead on the second climbing test today, but missed out on victory, Elisa Longo Borghini finding a finishing kick to beat Veronica Ewers and Van Vleuten in a three-up sprint in Borgo Val di Taro.

Five more stages to come, including a two-day denouement in Sardinia, in a slightly shorter race than last year.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:14 , Harry Latham-Coyle

That little dash to the intermediate sprint has closed the gap down to less than two minutes. You wonder if the peloton might be tempted to bring Laurent Pichon and Neilson Powless back between the next two climbs. Not that there is any need to, of course.

Victor Lafay has been re-absorbed. Powless is given a slight fright as Pichon feigns going after the two mountain points on the Col d’Itziar, but they eventually end up in the American’s pocket. He’ll wear the polka dots tomorrow.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:07 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Those 15 points to Lafay leave things intriguingly poised ahead of the bunch sprint - I think the green jersey will be the Frenchman’s to wear if the bunch sprint is one by someone not named Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen or Jasper Philipsen, who are all within the 50 points today’s winner will receive.

It’s pretty smart stuff from Lafay, who appears to have now sat up as he and the rest of the field begin the Col d’Itziar.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:04 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And it’s little surprise to see Mads Pedersen showing at the front, the Dane fancying his chances of taking the green jersey come race end with Wout van Aert declaring himself out of the running to focus on the good of team Jumbo-Visma (and a potential early departure for the birth of his child).

Pedersen pips Jordi Meeus and Biniam Girmay to take 13 points.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

14:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Through the intermediate sprint go Laurent Pichon and Neilson Powless, followed soon enough by Victor Lafay. 15 points to the Frenchman - and there’s a bit of a ding-dong brewing behind as the sprinters prepare to test their legs.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:58 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Lafay is closing quickly on our intrepid two at the front of the race, taking a minute and a bit out of their lead and now only 90 seconds or so back.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:54 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Now then! This is bold from Victor Lafay, yesterday’s winner and looking fetching in the green jersey. He’s off the front of the peloton and looking to close the gap to the breakaway.

Lafay’s legs looked really, really good on Saturday when he was a slightly strange interloper alongside Pogacar and Vingegaard. You wonder what his intentions here are - the intermediate sprint isn’t too far away, so perhaps he wants to stay in green?

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Need a reminder of what’s to come in this year’s Tour? Here’s our stage by stage guide of a route that promises plenty.

Stage-by-stage guide to the 2023 Tour de France route

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:29 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Plenty of fans out and about in the rather pretty seaside town of Lekeitio, the Basque fans making themselves heard and waving their Ikurriña flags.

Tadej Pogacar requires a new back wheel, coming to a halt as the peloton begins to weave up a coastal road. He’s in no hurry after this sedate start, stopping for a natter with a couple of UAE Team Emirates personnel.

It’s a glorious day, by the looks of things, with a welcome breeze coming off the sea. Pogacar smiles to the camera as he weaves through the convoy up to the rear of the peloton.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle

These are the sort of days that do sometimes bring unexpected incidents - the peloton can switch off a little with the pattern set so early and a bunch sprint all but a certainty, with a loss of focus causing a crossed wheel or two and a crash. Few signs of that so far, with the riders chatting away happily. Mark Cavendish has dropped off the back briefly, with Astana teammate Yevgeniy Fedorov helping pace him back to the peloton - here’s what the British sprinter had to say last night as he geared up for his first chance at breaking Eddy Merckx’s record.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Three minutes is the gap now as the two-man breakaway prepare to crest the second climb of the day. Just a single point on offer at the top of the Cote de Milloi, a gentle ascent.

Fabio Jakobsen, one of the day’s big contenders, has been forced into an early bike change, with the Soudal–Quick-Step rider back amongst his teammates in the peloton. Trek-Segafredo’s Quinn Simmons is doing the work on the front, instantly recognisable with his flowing locks and bushy red beard, clad in the stars and stripes earned by victory in Knoxville at the US national championships last week.

Neilson Powless adds another point, playing to the crowd as they roar him over the top of the Milloi.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

13:03 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And while it didn’t quite come for him, there were certainly signs of intent from Tadej Pogacar on both Saturday and Sunday, trying his best to shake Jonas Vingegaard from his wheel but not quite able to dislodge the Dane. The bonus seconds that he’s already collected could prove valuable, though, and Pogacar will surely keep attacking - he knows no other way and it might be his best route to victory as he bids to win back his crown.

How Tadej Pogacar can beat Jonas Vingegaard and take back Tour de France crown

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

12:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Well, it would appear we may be set for the day - Neilson Powless and Laurent Pichon out front, the sprinters’ teams keeping them within reach at the front of the peloton.

That gives us plenty of time to digest an outstanding opening weekend, with the Basque Country predictably coming to life to provide an incredible atmosphere. The racing delivered, too - The Independent’s Lawrence Ostlere indulged in all that Bilbao and San Sebastian had to offer.

Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

12:44 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Pichon does not contest - Powless takes two more King of the Mountains competition points to extend his advantage over Tadej Pogacar to six points. You’d expect him to add another five on the two third category and single fourth category climbs remaining in the stage, with the peloton unlikely to bother reeling the breakaway in before each of the mini-peaks have been crossed.

Alpecin-Deceunick on the front of a very relaxed peloton, enjoying a much more comfortable day.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

12:33 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Our plucky pair, Powless and Pichon, draw up alongside one another for a chat about the day ahead. We’ve got about three kilometres until the top f the day’s first climb, the third category Cote de Trabakua.

Pichon will presumably permit Powless to sweep over the top and take two more points to continue to build his lead.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

12:24 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Neilson Powless isn’t alone - Arkea-Samsic’s Laurent Pichon has followed him off the front. Powless won’t mind the lack of company as he tries to build his King of the Mountains tally - their gap to the peloton has swelled to beyond a minute at it appears our breakaway for the day may already have been formed.

Tour de France 2023 - Stage Three

12:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Right, after two tough days in Spain, finally there’s something to interest the fastmen as the Tour de France crosses the border for our first likely sprint finish of this year’s race. We’re expecting things to be a little calmer through the afternoon, with the hills smaller and more spaced and unlikely to trouble the sprinters with no major general classification activity expected.

Is this the day for Mark Cavendish to break the record? You’d have to say the Astana rider is a real contender, though he took his time to warm to his task at the Giro d’Italia earlier in the year and might need to ease his way in to his Tour farewell, too. Jasper Philipsen will surely be up there - Mathieu van der Poel notably kept his powder dry yesterday on a finish that seemed to suit him, and should offer an uber-powerful lead-out option - while Wout van Aert might just be tempted to have his own go after being pipped by Victor Lafay yesterday.

The flag has been waved - 193.2 kilometres of racing to go and Neilson Powless is immediately on the attack as he seeks to consolidate his early lead in the chase for the polka dot jersey.

‘You morons!’ Tour de France riders hit by nail attack causing mass punctures

12:07 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Tour de France riders were attacked by nails on the road of the final kilometres of stage two in San Sebastian.

Several riders suffered punctures in the last throes of the 209km ride through the Spanish Basque Country. Lilian Calmejane posted a video on social media showing his bike after the race, with five nails embedded in the front tyre.

‘Thank you for this kind of human bulls**t…” he tweeted. “I don’t think I was the only victim of a puncture in the end… know that you can fall and get really hurt with your bulls**t you morons.”

‘You morons!’ Tour de France riders hit by nail attack causing mass punctures

Tour de France 2023

11:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Mark Cavendish has found the 2023 Tour de France tough going so far, getting dropped by the peloton early in both of the opening hilly stages in the Basque Country. Now, though, the fast men may well get a shot at a bunch sprint as the road flattens somewhat en route from Amorebieta to Bayonne.

After two days in the north of Spain, the race will cross the border into France in the final 50km of this 184km journey along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean – pack-splitting crosswinds are unlikely on what is forecast to be a still day.

Stage 3 preview: Mark Cavendish eyes first chance for sprinters

Tour de France 2023

11:21 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow all the latest from stage three of the Tour de France as the sprinters get their first chance in this year’s race.