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By Ivan Speck reports from Arenberg
White jersey: Geraint Thomas celebrates on the podiumThe cobbles of northern France shook the Tour de France to its core yesterday, ripping through the race's established order, ending the dreams of some and opening the eyes of the cycling world to the prodigious talents of Britain's Geraint Thomas.
The Welshman, 24 six weeks ago, was second on a madcap stage in which riders in the peloton sprinted for half-an-hour to have a position at the front over the rickety tracks which dissected sweetcorn fields and apple orchards.
Thomas, an Olympic gold medallist on the track and considered the natural successor to Bradley Wiggins, is now second in the overall standings and looks down on his Team Sky leader in the race to Paris.
He is also the proud wearer of the Tour's white jersey, given to the best-placed young rider, although he is unlikely to remain in second spot once the Alps loom into view at the weekend.
His ability to judge the perfect moment to latch on to the group at the front of the peloton was impeccable after the unfortunate Frank Schleck came crashing down on the pivotal one-and-a-half-mile Sars et Rosieres stretch of cobbles.
As Schleck's Tour came to a painful end, Thomas rode across to a group containing the younger Schleck brother, Andy, and Thor Hushovd whose eventual stage win damaged Mark Cavendish's hopes of winning the green points jersey still further
Ice man: Thor Hushovd celebrates his victory in ArenbergA delighted Thomas said: 'It was a massive buzz going across the cobbles with that quality of group. It doesn't get any better than that. I'm here on the Tour for Brad but the white jersey is a real nice bonus.'
Once the peloton had split, the objective of Thomas' group was the pursuit of long-time stage leader Ryder Hesjedal while the carnage continued behind.
Lance Armstrong punctured as he looked poised to join them and then suffered the fury of seeing his rival Alberto Contador - a faller in the Schleck crash - and Wiggins riding past while he waited for a new bike from his RadioShack team.
More madness: Riders fall on the cobblestones during the third stage]Contador himself cracked in the final mile of the run-in to the former mining commune of Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, losing 20 seconds to Wiggins in sight of the line, while the Frenchman who wore the yellow jersey into his home country, Sylvain Chavanel, suffered the heartache of puncturing twice on the notorious cobbles and giving the overall lead back to Fabian Cancellara.
It all added up to the spectacle envisaged and hoped for by the race organisers when they included the cobbles on their 2010 route.
Road safety: The peleton cruises on during the Belgium to France crossingIn common with every stage so far on what has been an explosive opening to the Tour, unpredictability ruled. Where it leaves Cavendish, who also punctured, and Wiggins is at opposite ends of the spectrum of hope.
The sluggish time trial of Rotterdam is now forgotten for Wiggins, who closed within nine seconds of Contador overall and leapt 41 seconds ahead of Armstrong.
He said: 'Everyone did their maximum today. It wasn't physically ridiculous, there was more positioning involved and not so many crashes.'
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