Frenchman Romain Feillu seized the overall lead as compatriot Samuel Dumoulin won the third stage in a day of upsets on the Tour de France on Monday.
Agritubel’s Feillu, the first local to wear the yellow jersey on the Tour since Cyril Dessel two years ago, was third behind Cofidis’s Dumoulin and Garmin Chipotle’s William Frischkorn of the United States.
Dumoulin proved the best sprinter of a breakaway quartet that parted company with the peloton 1km after the start of the 208km stage from St Malo to Nantes.
The three men, along with Paolo Longo Borghini of Italy, opened a 14-minute lead, fighting heavy rain showers and gusty winds to wrongfoot those who had anticipated a mass finish.
Spaniard Angel Litu Gomez was forced to withdraw after a crash at a traffic divider that split the peloton.
Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, who was then wearing the yellow jersey, and race favourite Cadel Evans of Australia stayed in the main pack that crossed the line two minutes and three seconds behind the winner.
Italian Riccardo Ricco and Russian Denis Menchov were less lucky and lost 38 more seconds.
The leading quartet was briefly obstructed by a group of protesters from the port of St Nazaire 58km before the line.
The riders worked their way through without too much difficulty, with Tour director Christian Prudhomme begging the protestors to clear the road before the arrival of the peloton.
Police then pushed away the demonstrators and the road was clear when the main bunch passed seven minutes later. — Reuters