00:02On to the crucial third stage of the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the team time trial.
00:08This discipline has had something of a renaissance in recent seasons and will open the upcoming Tour de France in
00:14Barcelona.
00:15A key moment for the GC favourites, notably French hotshot Paul Sexas.
00:22We're obviously a man down with Matthew's abandon, but we're still really motivated with a very solid team.
00:28We've got guys who are very strong time trialists, so we hope to get the best possible result and work
00:34on our TTT before the Tour.
00:36Jayco and Lula have always been fond of a team time trial, and even if the time is now taken
00:41when the first rider crosses the line,
00:43they're banking on their collective strength.
00:46Basically everyone in our team's favourite event, it's something we've got a really rich history,
00:49and so we're really excited for that as a team.
00:51We don't have those big superstars, but I think in terms of an overall team and how strong it is,
00:56we can all compliment each other really well.
00:58Back in March, net company INEOS won the TTT at Paris-Nice,
01:03and they're hoping for the same result today with Oscar Onley and Kevin Vaucelin.
01:07Yeah, we have big ambitions today. It's more technical than Paris-Nice, there's a fair amount of climbing.
01:14So personally I'm going to have to be strong to help out our leaders as much as possible.
01:20But yeah, we're going for the win.
01:24Today's course a bumpy 28.4km around Pirro.
01:28Two climbs in the first half where the big engines will just be trying to survive,
01:32and then a very fast run-in to the final climb, which boasts an average gradient of nearly 6%.
01:40Well, Picnic Postonel were the first team down the ramp at 5 past 3 local time.
01:44The best teams expected to cover the course in about 33-34 minutes,
01:48and it was all about getting the big rouleur over these early climbs.
01:53Some of the domestiques already struggling as the team leaders tried to save some energy for the final.
01:58Among the early teams to go, there was a great fight between Jaco Alula and Bahrain Victorious,
02:03separated by just a few seconds.
02:07Jaco smashing the time of NSN to go into the hot seat,
02:10with Michael Matthews finishing just ahead of Luke Plapp.
02:14I think in the last bit we lost a bit of time, so it might not be the stage win,
02:18but it might not be anywhere nearer, I don't know.
02:20But I think we did a pretty good race, and yeah, I think it's positive for the tour.
02:26Bahrain Victorious fading a little on the final part of the course.
02:30At the finish line they're going to be outside the time of Jaco Alula by nearly 12 seconds.
02:39The battle between the top GC favourites kicked off shortly afterwards,
02:43as UAE Team Emirates XRG got underway.
02:46Joao Almeida not on top form at the moment,
02:48but he and the rest were ready to bury themselves for Isaac del Toro.
02:53UAE failing to unseat Jaco Alula, but the Aussies were soon knocked off their perch by Movistar.
02:59And there were still plenty of strong squads to come.
03:02Lidl Trek, Decathlon CMA CGM, Net Company INEOS and EF Education Easy Post.
03:09Lidl Trek were on a charge, notching the best intermediate times,
03:13while Decathlon, a man down after Matthew Riccitello's abandon,
03:16were counting on their flying Dutchman Dan Haller to keep Sexass in the fight.
03:21Juan Ayuso and Lidl Trek putting 20 seconds into Movistar and surging into the hot seat,
03:28while Sexass was willing to take a few risks to set the best possible time.
03:33Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
03:35Little bit of a little slide there for Paul Sexass.
03:38Loses a little bit of speed.
03:41Decathlon ultimately finishing 13 seconds down on Lidl Trek,
03:44so Sexass will have some time to make up in the mountains.
03:48Second fastest time for Decathlon CMA CGM.
03:53It was looking like a two-horse race for stage honours
03:56between Net Company INEOS and Visma Lisepaik,
03:58but EF weren't losing too much time in their bid to keep Alex Boudin in the yellow and blue jersey.
04:04The American squad just trying to stay together for as long as possible.
04:08At the first two checkpoints, it was Net Company INEOS topping the timesheets,
04:12but the British team then had a scare when Onley dropped his chain.
04:16The rest are waiting for him to catch up and that meant losing precious seconds
04:21and potentially the stage victory.
04:23EF still doing a fantastic job for Boudin,
04:26only six seconds down at the second intermediate checkpoint
04:29as Net Company INEOS reached the finish line, flying into the hot seat.
04:35Kevin Vorkalan and Oscar Onley sprint their way to the line
04:40and obliterate the time of Lidl Trek.
04:44But that wasn't enough to secure the stage win.
04:47Visma Lisepaik's Matteo Jorgensen, the two-time winner of Paris-Nice,
04:51clocking the winning time of 32 minutes and 52 seconds.
04:55The only remaining question was could Alex Boudin keep hold of the yellow and blue jersey,
05:00the Frenchman giving it his absolute all in the final sprint to the line.
05:05Going to be exceptionally close, but I think he might just make it.
05:10Boudin is defiant.
05:13Well, Boudin did indeed keep hold of his race lead by 12 seconds,
05:17a great effort from EF.
05:18Now things didn't really go according to plan for Visma Lisepaik today,
05:22with Wout Barnard dropping early and Ben Chuletz getting a puncture,
05:25but they adapted superbly and still took the win.
05:29Jorgensen getting back to his best after a nasty crash at the Amstel gold race.
05:36It is really nice after the spring I've had to come back and be on top again.
05:43It's a pleasure to be part of a team like this where we have people that look after all the
05:47details
05:47and make such a clear plan for us.
05:50I'm super happy to be part of this team and take this win together.
05:56The Dutch squad winning it by nine seconds from net company INEOS,
05:59with EF 29 seconds back in third.
06:03Decathlon shipped 45 seconds with UAE at just over a minute.
06:10Boudin doing a magnificent job to keep his yellow and blue jersey,
06:14with Vaucola and Onli up to second and third.
06:17Sexass trails by exactly one minute, with del Toro at 1.16.
06:23No change in the points classification.
06:25It's still Nadav Reisberg of NSN who leads from Anton Charmig.
06:33And Ditto in the mountains classification.
06:35Clément Brazafonso remains three points clear of Boudin.
06:42The top three overall are also the top three in the youth classification.
06:46Boudin, the head of Vaucola and Onli.
06:50Well the GC battle should take a back seat on stage four.
06:54Another punchy outing between Le Puy-en-Velay and Morant-les-Bats.
06:57Do join us for that on Wednesday.
06:59And thanks for watching.
