Tour de France 2024 Stage 3

July 1, 2024 A long stage of 230KM put off all attempts for a breakaway. Alpecin-Deceuninck took up the pace making as the peloton traversed their way through the plains of Piedmont. The first real action came with 137KM to go at the intermediate sprint point. Most of the top sprinters got involved but it was Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek who took the full 20 points. He surfed other riders and didn't use his train, saving them for the finale. Fabien Grellier of TotalEnergies attacked solo with 66KM to go and sat 35 seconds in front of the peloton for 37KM's until he was caught with 29KM to go. At 20KM to go, nerves started to build as teams got together for positioning into the finish. At 2KM to go, a large crash took out a number of riders on the right side of the road, holding up many more. Only 30 riders were left to contend for the sprint. Intermarché-Wanty led through the final corner but Lidl-Trek and Decathlon AG2R seemed to have control. Mads Pedersen came off the wheel to start his sprint at 250M but he did not have the forward momentum that Biniam Girmay of Intermarché-Wanty had. Girmay took to the barriers and had the speed to win by a bike length. Fernando Gaviria of Movistar was next as Arnaud De Lie of Lotto-Dsnty came in third. Richard Carapaz of EF-Education EasyPost finished with the front group and takes over the Yellow Jersey on count back.