Greg van Avermaet in Yellow as BMC racing win team Time Trial

Froome, Porte, Yates, Nibali and Bardet a minute behind on GC

After the first two chaotic sprint stages where several GC favorites lost time, the Team Time trial was an opportunity for them to take it back.

It was BMC Racing Team who won the team time trial, the stage victory putting leader Greg Van Avermaet in the Yellow leader's jersey.

Mitchelton-Scott was the first team to finish and set a time of 38m and 55s on the 35.5 km course around Cholet which featured a few moderate climbs. Team Sky were next and set a faster time of 38m and 50s, five seconds faster than the Australian team.

Movistar set a time of 39m and 40s, 49s behind Sky, Nairo Quintana losing more time to his rivals.

BMC were planning to take back time for Richie Porte, the American team set the best time of 38m and 45s, beating Sky by four seconds.

American outfit EF Education First, containing injured Lawson Craddock, completed the course in 39m and 21s, finishing sixth overall. 

At the halfway point, Peter Sagan couldn't keep up with his Bora-hansgrohe teammates on the uphil sections and was dropped, he lost the Yellow Jersey. Quick-Step Floors were one of the stronger teams and finished 3rd.

Bahrain Merida and Movistar were the biggest losers, while BMC Racing, Mitchelson Scott and Team Sky the biggest winners, clawing back time for their GC contenders.

Dumoulin, Uran, Fulgsang, Porte, Froome and Yates all sit within a minute behind Van Avermaet. Nibali and Bardet just over a minute. Quintana over two minutes behind. Will the Movistar team change tactics and support Landa or Valverde?

The racing resumes with 2 flat sprint stages before the Mur-de-Bretagne rears it's ugly head on Stage 6 this Thursday. The GC contenders will be looking to stay upright and out of trouble!

VIDEO: 2018 Tour de France Stage 3 Highlights

2018 Tour de France GC favorites after team Time Trial

1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 9:08:55 
7 Tom Dumoulin +11 
10 Rigoberto Uran +35
13 Jacob Fulsang +51 
14 Richie Porte +51
18 Chris Froome + 55
20 Adam Yates +1:00
22 Vincenzo Nibali +1:06
25 Romain Bardet +1:15
59 Nairo Quintana +2:08

2018 Tour de France Stage 3 team Time Trial Results

1 BMC Racing Team 0:38:46 
2 Team Sky 0:00:04 
3 Quick-Step Floors 0:00:07 
4 Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:09 
5 Team Sunweb 0:00:12 
6 EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale 0:00:35 
7 Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:50 
8 Astana Pro Team 0:00:52 
9 Katusha-Alpecin 0:00:53 
10 Movistar Team 0:00:54 
11 Bahrain-Merida 0:01:06 
12 AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:15 
13 Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:16 
14 Trek-Segafredo   
15 UAE Team Emirates 0:01:39 
16 Groupama-FDJ 0:01:42 
17 Fortuneo-Samsic 0:01:47 
18 Direct Energie 0:01:52 
19 Lotto Soudal   
20 Dimension Data 0:01:53 
21 Wanty-Groupe Gobert 0:02:24 
22 Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:03:23

2018 Tour de France GC after Stage 3

1 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 9:08:55 
2 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team   
3 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:03 
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:05 
5 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:07 
6 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors   
7 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:00:11 
8 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Sunweb   
9 Michael Matthews (Aus) Team Sunweb   
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:34