Peter Sagan of Bora Hansgrohe recovered from unclipping a couple of hundred metres from the line to win Stage 3 of the 2017 Tour de France on a day when the race headed from Belgium to Luxembourg via a brief detour into France. Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas retains the yellow jersey of race leader.

Today saw the first uphill finish of this year’s race with a short but punchy climb to the Côte des Religieuses at Longwy, and it produced a rousing finish many had predicted.

With the 1.6-kilometre climb averaging 5.2 per cent, it was a stage that suited a puncheur rather than a pure sprinter or a climber, and what’s more one that not only began in Philippe Gilbert’s home town, but also took place on his 35th birthday.

The Quick Step Floors rider did not figure in the finale, however, and after BMC Racing’s Richie Porte had come to the front as the gradient of the final climb eased off coming under the flamme rouge, Sagan was sitting fourth and launched an attack that looked set to produce a convincing win for the world champion.

But inside the final 250 metres, one of the Slovak’s feet unclipped from the pedal and it seemed that victory would elude him.

Sagan, however, had other ideas, clipping back in almost intsntaneously, regaining his momentum, and holding off Sunweb’s Michael Matthews and Dan Martin of Quick Step Floors to take victory.

Data from Sagan, Matthews and Porte clearly shows the impact of the moment the world champion unclipped and his susequent recovery.

The yellow jersey of Thomas was in the group immediately behind, guaranteeing the Welshman at least another day in the race lead, while team made and defending champion Chris Froome moves up to second overall.

It took a while for the break to form today after the stage headed from Belgium towards Luxembourg, and when it did it was Adam Hansen of Lotto-Soudal – riding a record 18th Grand Tour in a row – who instigated the move.

He was joined by Direct Energie rider Romain Sicard, plus four Tour de France debautants – Cannondale-Drapac’s Nate Brown, Nils Politt of Katusha, Romain Hardy from the Fortuneo team, and Wanty Groupe Gobert’s Frederik Backaert.

As yesterday, the peloton kept the break on a tight leash, with the maximum lead seldom going beyond six minutes.

Once the break had negotiated the day’s intermediate sprint point, it was Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish, looking to get back to full race fitness after his long lay-off through glandular fever. who got the better of the other sprinters to take seventh place.

Following the day’s second categorised climb Brown, who had taken the solitary point at the first one, jumped off the front of the break with Politt, the American taking maximum points at the third King of the Mountains summit to all but ensure himself of taking the polka dot jersey from team mate Taylor Phinney.

Heading towards the final 40 kilometres, a move by Lotto-Soudal’s Thomas De Gendt was followed by several other riders and doomed the break.

One of those riders was Direct Energie’s Lilian Calmejane, who launched a solo attack ahead of the 20-kilometres-to-go point, but he was slowly reeled in by the peloton and caught 10 kilometres ahead of the explosive finale.

Reaction

Stage winner Peter Sagan

What is pressure? I don’t know what it is.

First of all, I want to thank the team for pulling all day. It was not easy with the headwind and a lot of stress in the peloton.

It was a pretty hard climb at the end. I saw a little gap with 800m to go. I decided to speed up. It was far away and too early.

When I started my sprint, my foot went out of the pedal. It was another mistake but I won. Michael Matthews almost beat me but I’m glad I stayed ahead of him.

Overall leader Geraint Thomas

It was obviously a stressful finale but the team did a good work to keep us up. At the start of the climb, Chris Froome was a little far, in about 20th position, so we had to make an effort to move up.

Richie Porte attacked strongly. I didn’t expect that. I knew Sagan and other riders going for the stage victory would bring him back.

We said before the race that Richie was the main man. Our impression is reinforced by what he did today.

However, having the yellow jersey from the start of the Tour is a massive benefit for us. It gives us the freedom to ride at the front early but today we let the honour of pulling to other teams.

It’s a long way to Paris with another 18 days to go but for me it’s a dream scenario so far and it’s good for the morale.

New mountains classification leader, Nate Brown

For sure the polka dot jersey is part of our plan. We went out with the goal yesterday to get the jersey and today we rode for keeping the jersey in the family.

I’m the happiest man I kept it. We intend to continue being super aggressive during the whole race. We have guys for the GC. We want to spice up the race.

Marcel Kittel, who kept the leadership of the points classification

I’m still very confident, my legs were okay today, in the end it was very difficult. But in general I feel really good.

For us, the goal will be again the victory tomorrow. I will be very focused.

The green jersey ambition can be developed after a few more stages and if I see if I can have realistic ambitions or not. For now, I’ll keep defending it and fighting for it.

> Tour de France 2017 preview: Your stage-by-stage guide to cycling’s biggest race