ANGERS, France — World champion Peter Sagan is wearing the Tour de France’s yellow jersey for the first time as the peloton heads south toward the Anjou region in the Loire valley.
Sagan, who claimed the race lead after winning Stage 2 in Normandy, has an eight-second advantage over Julian Alaphilippe, with Alejandro Valverde in third place, 10 seconds back.
The third stage is a mainly flat 223.5-kilometre stretch between Granville and Angers that should favour sprinters. Frenchman Armindo Fonseca attacked right after the start and has built a gap of 6 1/2 minutes after 15 kilometres of racing.
The peloton is still complete with 198 riders, despite several crashes that have marred the first two stages.