Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) took the American team’s second straight stage victory between Olonne-sur-Mer and Redon, to mark his country’s Day of Independence. After confusion struck the peloton, Garmin-Cervélo dominated the final few hundred metres, presenting Farrar with an almost unopposed sprint, and the American celebrated by making the sign of a ’W’ for his close friend Wouter Weylandt, who died in the Giro d’Italia.
Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM) was second and Spanish champion José Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) was third, as many of the sprinters were left behind.
“I’ve been chasing this win for a few years now,” said Farrar at the finish. “I’ve come close a lot and to finally get it is a huge relief. We won yesterday and that was already incredible – it was already a dream come true, just to stand on the Tour podium – but to do it again today… I just can’t even comprehend it.
“I think we showed that we also have a strong train. First there is Dave Millar and then Thor [Hushovd] and then Julian [Dean] and then myself – it’s been a work in progress since 2009 for us and it’s just getting better and better.”
Farrar’s victory is the second in as many days for Garmin-Cervélo, having not taken one before. To win on his own was an even greater experience for the American though, particularly as it came on his country’s national day.
“The team time trial was something special,” he said, “a victory for the entire team but to win a sprint… ah, it’s been a dream since I was a child and it’s finally come true. It’s incredible for me – I had the world champion who is wearing the maillot jaune leading out the sprint for me.
“It’s not a common sight but when you have that happening you have to do a good sprint. And to win on the Fourth of July is just another sign of how well it’s all come together today.
Farrar made a ‘W’ sign as he crossed the line, as a tribute to his good friend Wouter Weylandt, who was killed on the third stage of the Giro d’Italia.
“This one is for Wouter,” he said. “It’s been a big loss. It’s been a rough few months for me since… but I wanted to be good here in the Tour and try to do something to remember him and so I’m happy that was able to do it.”
Three days in and the sprinters finally have a chance
After a hilltop finish and a team time trial, stage three promised to be one for the sprinters. It featured an almost entirely flat parcours, with the one categorised climb being the 66 metre high “Côte du Pont de Saint-Nazaire”, the bridge that spans the wide mouth of the River Loire, with 55km to go. With only one point awarded to the first man over a 4th category climb, stage one winner Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) was the only rider to score in the mountains jersey competition; the first man over the bridge would therefore give himself a chance of putting on polka dots tomorrow.
Despite the flat roads though, with the route passing so close to the Atlantic coast it route was bound to be prone to crosswinds. The overall contenders would have to remain vigilant for the entire stage, so as not to lose time behind splits in the peloton.
Once again the breakaway goes as the flag is dropped
Just as happened on day one, the breakaway of the day escaped within the first few hundred metres. The five riders to form the group were Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar), Mickael Delage (FDJ), Maxime Bouet (AG2R La Mondiale), Ruben Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Niki Terpstra (Quickstep).
Gutierrez was the best placed rider, in 59th overall, 1’09" behind race leader Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo).
After 6km the five riders led by 2’30”, and the gap continued to grow as the World champion’s team rode a steady tempo on the front of the peloton. The breakaway covered just over 40km in the first hour of racing, by which time its advantage had been allowed to stretch to 5’20”.
The gap reached its maximum of 8’05” after 74km, but as they approached the intermediate sprint at Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons after 104km, the five riders still had 6’30”.
Delage opened up his sprint from the rear of the group and the gap that he opened up over the other four proved to be too great for them to cross; the Frenchman took the maximum points with apparent ease, with Gutierrez and Terpstra on his wheel.
The sprinters fight for the intermediate sprint, but a little too much
As the peloton approached the line, the scene from stage one was repeated, as the sprinters’ teams jostled for supremacy. Danilo Hondo (Lampre-ISD) led the fast men into the final metres, although his sprinter Alessandro Petacchi was nowhere to be seen. Philippe Gilbert launched his own sprint, but right behind him Cavendish and yellow jersey Thor Hushovd were fighting for his wheel.
The two of them made contact, and briefly clashed heads and, although neither thought anything of the incident, they were both later disqualified,
There was a brief lull as Anthony Charteau (Europcar) was allowed to jump off the front of the peloton to visit his family. It was soon to be back to business though for Garmin-Cervélo, with HTC-Highroad joining the chase in the form of Lars Bak.
When a bridge becomes a mountain
On the approach to the Pont de Saint-Nazaire, there was a brisk wind coming from the Atlantic, on the riders’ left side. The leading quintet took the bridge together, as they had ridden most of the stage before, but as they neared the top Delage launched a sprint and took the climb with the same ease that he had won the intermediate sprint.
The FDJ rider is now tied with Gilbert on one point, but the Belgian champion still holds the jersey.
A number of teams swarmed to the front of the peloton as it approached the bridge, primarily to keep their leaders out of trouble, but also to put the pressure on their rivals as they hit the crosswinds.
A large echelon was formed at the front of the bunch, forcing a number of riders into the gutter as they made their way up the not-particularly-steep gradient. The peloton split into two large groups as it crested the top of the bridge, with a few small groups trailing behind them. Liquigas-Cannondale leader Ivan Basso and Team Sky sprinter Ben Swift were among those to find themselves caught behind the split.
Almost strangely though, the decision was taken by a number of teams not to press home the advantage, with Bak signalling to the others that they were to ease the pace. This allowed the two bunches to get back together again, and for most of the small groups to catch up.
With 45km to go Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) suffered a mechanical problem; he got a replacement bike from his team car, but was left to chase back on to the peloton on his own. Even though the pace was not particularly quick in the peloton, the tall Russian was having trouble working his way back up.
The break’s days are numbered but the peloton doesn’t want it yet
The gap to the five leaders was down to 43 seconds as they passed the 40km to go mark.
Karpets, meanwhile, made his way through the team cars, and managed to join a group of stragglers behind the peloton. There was very little sign that this group was going to make it back up to the main field, but eventually they made it across and the Russian was back in the fold once more.
With 25km to go, the quintet led by 54 seconds but, as the Leopard Trek and Saxo Bank-SunGard teams came to the front, the gap started coming down again. There was a brief moment of confusion when Manuel Quinziato and two other members of the BMC Racing Team came down as the road narrowed slightly. All three were up again quickly though.
Gutierrez was the first of the five leaders to try to escape the others with 21km to go; they were straight onto him though, but his move heralded the end of cooperation in the group. As they passed under the 20km banner, their lead was 30 seconds, as the brief burst of speed helped to delay what was now inevitable.
Delage was the next to attack the break and, as he accelerated away Gutierrez was on his wheel, and the two of theme rode away from the others; surely they were only delaying the inevitable though.
American teams take control again on the 4th of July
As Delage and Gutierrez began to open their lead up once more, HTC-Highroad and Garmin-Cervélo came to the front once more. With 15km to go they held 40 seconds, but the peloton still had plenty of time to make the catch. The peloton made short work of reeling in Bouet, Perez and Terpstra, but the other two were proving to be more stubborn. With 10km to go, they were still 13 seconds ahead.
The peloton had them in sight now though, on the wide straight road, and with 9.5km left Gutierrez blew a kiss to the TV camera and he and Delage sat up.
With the catch made Katusha moved forward through the middle of the peloton and tried to wrest control from the two American teams. HTC-Highroad and Garmin-Cervélo were not to be pushed off though; BMC Racing also moved forward, with Cadel Evans (wearing the polka-dot jersey) with them in the line.
Lampre-ISD then moved forward on the opposite side of the road with 8km to go, but Cavendish’s team was not about to give up control to Petacchi’s.
With 5km to go Saxo Bank-SunGard, Euskaltel-Euskadi and Saur-Sojasun sent men forward to keep the pace high. HTC-Highroad had a five-man line now though, with Cavendish in fifth wheel, and was determined to keep control. Lampre-ISD was lurking behind, with Tom Boonen (Quick Step) was there fighting for Petacchi’s wheel.
HTC-Highroad does too much too soon
As the peloton crossed the River Vilaine with 3km to go, Tony Martin was at the head of the HTC-Highroad train, with Matt Goss, Mark Renshaw and Cavendish in his slipstream. As the road began to gently rise though, Petacchi’s lead out man Danilo Hondo managed to get ahead of them and pulled out a gap of a few metres.
The German was allowed to stew out in front as he wasn’t getting any further away, but an attack from Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil-DCM) forced a good gap as the final kilometre approached. HTC-Highroad was still not panicking though and managed to reel in the lone fugitive just before he passed under the flamme rouge.
Suddenly Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) surged from the peloton; the white jersey wearer was supposed to be heading the leadout for sprinter Ben Swift, but the teammates were separated and the Welshman opened up a gap in front on his own.
Garmin-Cervélo delivers its man to perfection
Thomas was not to get far but the final effort meant that HTC-Highroad could no longer control the front of the peloton. David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) took over, with Hushovd on his wheel; behind them was Julian Dean, who was pulling Farrar to the finish.
Confusion on the final corner saw Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) come down, which disrupted much of the peloton, but the Garmin-Cervélo train was not to be derailed now.
Millar gave way to Hushovd, who pulled Dean into the final few hundred metres, then the New Zealander launched Farrar with 150 metres to go. Many of the sprinters had been disrupted by Dumoulin’s crash, but the rest of them were lined up behind Farrar; the American was not to be beaten though, and made a ‘W’ shape with both hands as he crossed the line to take his, and his team’s, first individual stage victory in the race.
Since Hushovd was part of Farrar’s Garmin-Cervélo lead out he finished in the same time, and so holds onto his yellow jersey.