Nazon takes Stage 3, McEwen takes yellow

Jean-Patrick Nazon takes the stage, his 2nd career stage after winning on the Champs Elysees last year.

The Top 5:

1) Nazon
2) Erik Zabel
3) Robbie McEwen
4) Tom Boonen
5) Kim Kirchen

McEwen of Lotto will take his first career yellow jersey from Thor Hushovd, caught behind in the day's deciding break, along with Iban Mayo, Christophe Moreau, and Francisco Mancebo, among others.

Lance Armstrong slips another place, to 5th, 16 seconds off the lead, but it was a good day for the 5-time winner, as several rivals finished 4 minutes back.

Mayo was 3:53 back in 151st, Christophe Moreau 3:53 back in 114th. Bradley McGee is still suffering, coming in 9:06 back in 173rd.

It will be a good race tomorrow, as a few riders have a shot at the yellow jersey after the team time trial; the top of the GC board is still tight enough that a very strong team time trial could drop the jersey on 10 different riders, but the best bet has to be Armstrong, only 7 seconds back of Jens Voigt, the only rider leading him with a good time-trialing team.