Hello and welcome to live coverage of stage 3 of the Tour de France - a long and largely flat 223.5-kilometre schlep from Granville to Angers, and a chance for the pure sprinters to battle it out for a stage victory.

Here's what's on the menu today for the 198 riders - all of whom took to the start today despite some sore limbs following those opening weekend crashes...

Today's stage: Belgian classics king Tom Boonen won when the Tour last came to Angers in 2004, pipping Stuart O'Grady and Erik Zabel in a fast finish. We can expect a similar scenario in the race's final moments in the Manche – the first time in Tour history that one department has featured so many kilometres (435) in a single edition. As the riders edge into neighbouring Mayenne look out not only for the châteaux but for FDJ riders on the loose: the route passes through Renazé, home of team manager Marc Madiot. With those 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds up for grabs, could we witness another shake up at the top of the standings?

Yesterday, World champion Peter Sagan's first victory on the Tour de France since 2013 saw the Slovakian sensation move into a career-first yellow jersey in Cherbourg after an explosive stage two in Normandy. Sagan out-slugged Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) in a slow-motion uphill sprint in a thrilling conclusion to a wet and undulating 183km stage from Saint-Lo. The 26-year-old’s reward? The first maillot jaune of his career – secured after overnight leader Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) was dropped towards the finish.