Chris Froome in yellow as Joaquim Rodriguez wins stage three on the Mur de Huy

Froome (Team Sky) leads Germany's Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) by one slender second in the general classification after picking up six bonus seconds for finishing behind stage winner Rodriguez of Katusha.

The Impressive Froome finished 11 seconds ahead of his rivals Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) - and a further seven seconds ahead of Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) - after zipping up the decisive 19% maximum gradient in pursuit of rapid Rodriguez.

A winner on the Mur de Huy in the 2012 Fleche Wallonne spring classic, veteran Rodriguez used his experience to make his move inside the final 500 metres before keeping Froome at bay and securing his first Tour stage in five years.

Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz (Ag2R-La Mondiale) took a surprise third place four seconds down and one second ahead of Irishman Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin). France’s Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal) completed the top five before American Tejay van Garderen (BMC) led a group of main favourites - including Britain's Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) - over the line 11 seconds down.

Van Garderen moves up to third place on GC 13 seconds down on race leader Froome, who will start Tuesday’s all-important stage over the cobblestones of northern France in yellow.

"I definitely didn't wake up this morning and think I'd be in yellow tonight," said 30-year-old Froome. "I knew there would be gaps on the final climb but I didn't think that they would be so significant." Froome also thanked his Sky team-mates for their "tremendous" efforts to keep him out of trouble after another frantic day on the Tour.

A huge pile-up with 60km remaining saw around a dozen riders hit the deck at top speed - including race leader Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing). Such was the severity of the crash, race organisers were forced to stop the peloton ahead of four climbs. Cancellara eventually returned to the fold but finished the 159.5km stage from Antwerp well off the pace to concede the race lead to Froome.

Just three days into the race, Froome leads Contador by 36 seconds, Nibali by 1:38 and Quintana by 1:56. Germany's Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) secured maximum points in the intermediate sprint to consolidate his green jersey ahead of Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) while Rodriguez's win gives the Spaniard the race's first polka dot jersey.

With overnight leader Fabian Cancellara fighting back after picking up a puncture in the neutral zone, Frenchman Bryan Nauleau (Europcar) attacked as soon as the flag was waved at the official start of the stage, prompting a reaction from Jan Barta (Bora-Argon 18), Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) and Serge Pauwels (MTN-Qhubeka).

The leaders built up a maximum advantage of four minutes over the peloton as the race basked in Belgian sunshine in stark contrast to the previous day’s storms back across the border in the Netherlands. It was the second break in as many days for the Czech Republic’s Barta, with the escapees perhaps motivated by the race’s first polka dot jersey.

But with the first of four back-to-back lower category climbs approaching the gap of the leaders had been whittled down to 20 seconds just as disaster struck in the peloton.

The pace was thought to be around 60kmph when Frenchman William Bonnet touched wheels with another rider on a long, exposed straight to hit the deck and cause mayhem in his wake. Around a dozen riders clattered into Bonnet, with bodies and bikes flying through the air and coming to rest perilously close to a large lamppost on the side of the road.

Bonnet was forced out of the race along with Australia’s Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge), Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) and Russian Dmitry Kozontchuk (Katusha). Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) completed the stage but later withdrew after X-rays showed the South African had fractured a collarbone. Dutchman Laurens ten Dam (LottoNL-Jumbo) dislocated a shoulder but continued after popping it back in.

Race leader Fabian Cancellara was catapulted off his custom-painted yellow Trek bike and into a ditch, the Swiss rider appearing to be suffering from concussion after returning gingerly to the saddle.

With the race’s entire medical team called upon to tend to injured riders, Tour director Christian Prudhomme was forced to halt the peloton ahead of the Cote de Bohissau around 55km from the finish. After a break of 15 minutes – during which many riders appeared to dispute Prudhomme’s bold decision – the race restarted once the likes of Cancellara had returned to the fold.

Once the riders passed over the neutralised summit of the Cat.4 Cote de Bohissau it was business as usual with Astana, Tinkoff-Saxo and Sky all pressing hard on the front of the pack. Splits occurred, with the likes of Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Romain Bardet (Ag2R-La Mondiale) all caught out.

While the race came back together before the next climb – the Cote d’Ereffe – the high tempo saw many riders, including Pinot, struggle to keep in touch ahead of the punchy Cote de Cherave and the final rise to Huy.

Sky set a fast pace through Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas – but even they would not have envisaged a scenario where their team-mate Froome would be donning the maillot jaune at the close of play.

Despite crashing heavily and hurting his elbow during Sunday’s tumultuous stage in the Netherlands, 36-year-old Joaquim Rodriguez showed that he still has what it takes to win on cycling’s major stage. Many have written off the Spaniard after his heartbreak in the 2013 World Championships – but his timely attack on the Mur de Huy shows the world that Purito is back to his best. He will start Tuesday's stage four in the iconic polka dot jersey.

Besides the four terribly unfortunate riders forced out of the race and the forlorn figure of Fabian Cancellara, the biggest loser of the day was Australia’s Michael Matthews. Tipped as an outside bet for victory in the morning, the Orica-GreenEdge rider came down heavily in the pile-up that saw his team-mate Simon Gerrans withdraw.

Distanced while the race was neutralised, Matthews, his kit torn to shreds, eventually came home in last place – 21:38 down on Rodriguez and a more than seven minutes behind the second-to-last finisher. A brave ride, indeed.

Seven cobblestone sections are the highlight of Tuesday's 223.5km stage four from Seraing to Cambrai. 12 months ago Chris Froome crashed out of the race before the Tour had even hit the famous cobbles - but the Sky leader now finds himself in the unexpected position of having to defend the yellow jersey on the bone-jangling stones. The final 50km include six cobbled sections and rain showers have been forecast - so we can expect a fairly hellish day in northern France.

Many people criticised Christian Prudhomme for stopping the race but it quickly emerged that such a decision had not been taken lightly and was indeed made at the request of the medics.