Tuesday, July 8: Live updates from Stage 3
PLUMELEC, France

224km

12:33 p.m. (local time):
Telekom’s Erik Zabel wins the day’s first points sprint at the 37km mark, followed by Gan’s Frederic Moncassin and race leader Mario Cipollini.

12:38 p.m. (local time):
At the day’s first climb, a category-four hill at the 41km mark, Festina’s Laurent Brochard wins, followed by teammates Gianluca Bortolami and Didier Rous.

1:40 p.m. (local time):
A group of four tries unsuccessfully to break.

1:49 p.m. (local time):
Four riders pull away: Festina’s Bortolami, Gan’s Francois Simon, Banesto’s Orlando Rodrigues, and Rabobank’s Danny Nelissen.

1:54 p.m. (local time):
Bortolami and Simon finish 1-2 at the day’s second sprint at the 93km mark.

2:11 p.m. (local time):
The break’s lead is up to 2:40 in this flat section of the course.

2:38 p.m. (local time):
At the day’s feed zone at the 118km mark, just passed halfway, the break’s lead is three minutes, but the peloton is increasing its pace.

2:55 p.m. (local time):
Saeco has moved to the front of the peloton, but the break is widening its lead at the 127km mark, pulling 3:30 ahead.

3:02 p.m. (local time):
At the 144km mark, the peloton is gaining some time on the break, trimming the lead to 3:14.

3:14 p.m. (local time):
Now the break is pulling some seconds, building their lead back up to 3:25 at the 152km mark.

3:26 p.m. (local time):
At the 166km mark, the lead is back down to 3:10. Saeco is working the front of the peloton, working to reel in the break.

3:44 p.m. (local time):
The lead is down to 2:35 at the 177km mark. Saeco and Telekom are working the front of the peloton.

3:49 p.m. (local time):
With Mapei and TVM taking their turn, the lead is down to 2:25 at 184 kms.

4:01 p.m. (local time):
The break is still out 2:03 at the 196km mark.

4:03 p.m. (local time):
Simon attacks, pulling off the front of the break at the 197km mark.

4:05 p.m. (local time):
Simon wins the points sprint the with less than 20 kms to go. Bortolami, Rodrigues, and Nelisson passed six seconds back, while the peloton has pulled within 1:05.

4:14 p.m (local time):
Simon has pulled 30 seconds ahead of the Rodrigues chase group, with the peloton remaining at 1:05 back with 22 kms to go.

4:16 p.m. (local time):
Simon is now one minute ahead of the peloton, with the other three falling back.

4:18 p.m. (local time):
At the 206km mark, Rodrigues, Bortolamim, and Nelissen fall back to the peloton, still one minute back on Simon. Festina is working the front of the peloton.

5:02 p.m. (local time):
In a short, 6-percent grade finish, Telekom’s Erik Zabel sprung past Mapei’s Franck Vandenbroucke in the final 200 meters to win Tuesday’s third stage of the Tour de France. Italy’s Mario Cipollini, who won the first two stages, kept the yellow jersey of the leader.

Cofidis’s Tony Rominger took a hard fall in the final 5 kms, with early reports saying the 36-year-old veteran broke his collarbone and was taken away on a stretcher. MG’s Michele Bartoli and Mapei’s Tom Steels also went down hard.

Finishing third was defending champion Bjarne Riis, perhaps showing the rest of the peloton he’s in form. Fourth was France’s Laurent Jalabert, fifth Italy’s Davide Rebellin, and sixth Spain’s Abraham Olano.

Gan’s Francois Simon pulled off the front of a four-man break and built up a one-minute lead going into to final section of the course, but was reeled in in the final 5 kms, about the same time as several riders went down in the spill.

Cofidis’s Nicolas Jalabert attacked with 1 km to go, but Telekom pulled him back. Mapei’s Oscar Carmenzind also went out early, but Vandenbroucke attacked in the final 700 meters and built a small gap until the arrival of Zabel, who finished second yesterday on his birthday.