𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Some GC riders (Evenepoel especially) will be hoping to make up some time in today’s contre la montre. It might be too little, too late for Einer Rubio, however, who was seventh down the ramp and is already 31 minutes back.

Pint-sized climber Lenny Martinez, who was in the breakaway all day yesterday, is next off, presumably with some sore legs.

It’s an absolutely delightful day for a ride: bright sunshine and clear skies in northern France.

Luke Plapp has put 11 seconds into Romeo, crossing the first time-check in 9’40”. 20km remaining for the Aussie – this is a comparatively long TT by recent Tour standards, at 33km.

Ivan Romeo is flying. The 21-year-old has just stormed past one of his Movistar teammates. Luke Plapp has just overhauled his minute man Michael Storer too.

Romeo is quickest at the first time-check, passing in 9’51”.

Here’s what race leader Mathieu van der Poel had to say at the end of the day yesterday. Today is likely to be his last day in yellow for this race but the stage two winner is looking on the bright side.

Australian TT champ, and recent Giro stage winner, Luke Plapp is underway for Jayco-AlUla. You can’t miss him in his day-glo green and gold skinsuit.

Movistar’s brilliant young talent Ivan Romeo, under-23 world champ last year, is next down the ramp.

Here are the start times of some of the big contenders for today’s stage to keep an eye on:

• Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla): 12.15pm
• Edoardo Affini (Visma-Lease a Bike): 12.49pm
• Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers): 2.06pm
• Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike): 2.58.30pm
• Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): 3.36pm
• Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step): 3.44pm
• Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): 3.46pm
• Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike): 3.54pm
• Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike): 3.56pm
• Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): 3.58pm

Yevgeniy Fedorov, the lanterne rouge at the moment, is first down the ramp.