STAGE 3

MONDAY AUGUST 31

Nice › Sisteron

198KM

After the rain and crashes of day one and the mountains of day two, the Tour sprinters and all had as good a run into the finish as could be hoped for, unlike , who was far back and boxed in when the sprint started. However, Ewan, the most successful sprinter in the 2019 race, slalomed around his competitors and squeezed through narrow gaps in a way that looked impossible, even in slow-motion on the overhead television shots. And the delay, caused by initially holding back and having to shimmy his way through to the front, was to his advantage. A stiff headwind blew back at Bennett, who led through the final 100 metres, as Ewan’s late run turned out to be perfectly timed. He filled the tiny gap between Sagan and the barrier for long enough to squeeze past, then sucked Bennett’s wheel dry, before coming around him for a spectacular victory.