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Epernay - Julian Alaphilippe produced a magnificent show of power in stage three on Monday to give France its first win and take the overall lead in the 2019 Tour de France.
The win means a French rider has the overall leader's yellow jersey for the first time in five years.
The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider took a huge gamble with his long range effort.
He slipped away from the pack after vying for bonus seconds on the penultimate climb, assuming a daredevil, aerodynamic crouch at the crest and breaking clear.
By the time he crossed the Marne, still an agonising 10km through the champagne vineyards from Epernay, he was almost a minute ahead.
Alaphilippe was strong enough to cling on and win by 26 seconds, despite a desperate effort from the pack to reel him in.
"I was really up for it today, so when I saw the chance I went all in," said a red-faced Alaphilippe after his third ever stage win and his first yellow jersey.
"I should have waited until the end, I know, but I just went full gas when I saw the gap."
Amazingly, it is the first time a French rider has had the overall lead since Tony Gallopin wore yellow in 2014. Alaphilippe will be the toast of France tonight (Monday).
A small break in the chasing pack saw defending champion Geraint Thomas lose five seconds to his Team Ineos co-leader Colombian 22-year-old Egan Bernal and to French hope Thibaut Pinot.
"That climb where Alaphilippe went was steep and it was hard, but I just knew I didn't have the legs to go for the bonus sprint," Thomas said.
"Then it was just a case of getting to the finish and being safe," said Thomas, whose Ineos team did much of the chasing.
The crowd on the last hill had been expecting a bare-knuckle struggle, but went wild as Alaphilippe came up alone and rose in his saddle to swagger over the last steep climb.
At the line, the 27-year-old former soldier had maintained enough power to establish a 20 second lead over Belgian prodigy Wout Van Aert in the overall standings.
"It's actually only starting to sink in now that I have the jersey," said Alaphilippe, who was close to tears.
The Tour crossed into France earlier in the stage after opening with two stages in Belgium.
"What a beautiful way to start the tour here in France," he said.
"Having this on my back is something I'll never forget, its the recompense of everything I have done since I first got on a bike."
Overnight leader and surprise winner of the opening stage Mike Teunissen, was dropped by the main pack at the moment of Alaphilippe's attack and drifted home five minutes off the pace.
Slovak Peter Sagan took the sprint points green jersey in his bid to win it a record seventh time.
In the mountain classification Lotto-Soudal's Tim Wellens, part of a group who broke at Binche, made a solo bid 50km from home that saw him garner enough hilltop points to take the polka dot jersey.
Rookie Van Aert, who has converted from cyclo-cross, held on to the best under-25's white jersey as the buzz around him on his debut Tour increases.
Five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx was on hand as fans gave him and the Tour a noisy send off at the small start town of Binche as the 2019 race took it's Belgian bow.
The world-renowned vineyards here produce 362 million bottles of champagne a year. Half of them are drunk in France and now the French have a great excuse to crack open a bottle or two in celebration.
Results from stage 3 of the Tour de France third stage on Monday, a 215km ride from Binche in Belgium to Epernay in France:
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA/DEC) 4hrs 40mins 29sec.
2. Michael Matthews (AUS/SUN) at 26sec.
3. Jasper Stuyven (BEL/TRE) 26.
4. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL/CCC) 26.
5. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOR) 26.
6. Matteo Trentin (ITA/MIT) 26.
7. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA/BAH) 26.
8. Xandro Meurisse (BEL/WGG) 26.
9. Wout van Aert (BEL/JUM) 26.
10. Thibaut Pinot (FRA/FDJ) 26.
11. Tiesj Benoot (BEL/LOT) 26.
12. Egan Bernal (COL/INE) 26.
13. Geraint Thomas (GBR/INE) at 31sec.
14. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/AST) 31.
15. Guillaume Martin (FRA/WGG) 31.
16. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 31.
17. Steven Kruijswijk (NED/JUM) 31.
18. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ/AST) 31.
19. Rudy Molard (FRA/FDJ) 31.
20. Michael Woods (CAN/EF1) 31.
21. Rigoberto Uran (COL/EF1) 31.
22. Giulio Ciccone (ITA/TRE) 31.
23. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/BAH) 31.
24. Patrick Konrad (AUT/BOR) 31.
25. Adam Yates (GBR/MIT) 31.
26. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/DDT) 31.
27. Wilco Kelderman (NED/SUN) 31.
28. Emanuel Buchmann (GER/BOR) 31.
29. Mikel Landa (ESP/MOV) 31.
30. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 31.
31. Daniel Martin (IRL/UAE) 31.
32. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/DDT) 31.
33. Warren Barguil (FRA/ARK) 31.
34. Bauke Mollema (NED/TRE) 31.
35. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) 31.
36. Fabio Felline (ITA/TRE) 31.
37. Richie Porte (AUS/TRE) 31.
38. Enric Mas (ESP/DEC) 31.
39. Maximilian Schachmann (GER/BOR) 31.
40. David Gaudu (FRA/FDJ) 31.
41. Rui Costa (POR/UAE) 31.
42. Jack Haig (AUS/MIT) 31.
43. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/EF1) 31.
44. Nicolas Roche (IRL/SUN) 31.
45. Jesus Herrada (ESP/COF) 31.
46. Nicolas Edet (FRA/COF) 31.
47. Rein Taaramae (EST/TDE) 31.
48. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/ALM) 31.
49. Gregor Mühlberger (AUT/BOR) 31.
50. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/AST) 31.
51. Marc Soler (ESP/MOV) 31.
52. George Bennett (NZL/JUM) 31.
53. Peio Bilbao (ESP/AST) 31.
54. Daryl Impey (RSA/MIT) 31.
55. Sébastien Reichenbach (SUI/FDJ) 45.
56. Andrey Amador (CRC/MOV) 49.
57. Alessandro De Marchi (ITA/CCC) at 1min 01sec.
58. Michael Valgren (DEN/DDT) 1:04.
59. Mathias Frank (SUI/ALM) 1:13.
60. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/INE) 1:13.
61. Fabio Aru (ITA/UAE) 1:22.
62. Wouter Poels (NED/INE) 1:44.
63. Dylan Teuns (BEL/BAH) 1:44.
64. Mikaël Chérel (FRA/ALM) 1:44.
65. Gianni Moscon (ITA/INE) 2:19.
66. Simon Geschke (GER/CCC) 2:19.
67. Simon Clarke (AUS/EF1) 3:18.
68. Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/INE) 3:32.
69. Joey Rosskopf (USA/CCC) 3:42.
70. Nils Politt (GER/KAT) 3:51.
71. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS/KAT) 3:51.
72. Jan Tratnik (SLO/BAH) 3:51.
73. Tanel Kangert (EST/EF1) 3:51.
74. Natnael Berhane (ERI/COF) 3:51.
75. Andrea Pasqualon (ITA/WGG) 3:51.
76. Julien Bernard (FRA/TRE) 3:51.
77. Laurens De Plus (BEL/JUM) 4:09.
78. Lennard Kämna (GER/SUN) 4:54.
79. Julien Simon (FRA/COF) 4:54.
80. Mike Teunissen (NED/JUM) 4:54.
81. Simon Yates (GBR/MIT) 6:23.
82. Dries Devenyns (BEL/DEC) 8:28.
83. Omar Fraile (ESP/AST) 8:28.
84. Hugo Houle (CAN/AST) 8:35.
85. Stefan Kung (SUI/FDJ) 8:35.
86. Tony Gallopin (FRA/ALM) 8:35.
87. Maxime Monfort (BEL/LOT) 8:35.
88. Elie Gesbert (FRA/ARK) 8:35.
89. Rohan Dennis (AUS/BAH) 8:35.
90. Sergio Henao (COL/UAE) 8:42.
91. Soren Kragh Andersen (DEN/SUN) 8:43.
92. Matej Mohoric (SLO/BAH) 8:43.
93. Thomas De Gendt (BEL/LOT) 9:26.
94. Odd Christian Eiking (NOR/WGG) 9:26.
95. Mads Schmidt (DEN/KAT) 9:26.
96. Maxime Bouet (FRA/ARK) 9:26.
97. Nelson Oliveira (POR/MOV) 9:26.
98. Lars Bak (DEN/DDT) 9:26.
99. Anthony Roux (FRA/FDJ) 9:26.
100. Lilian Calmejane (FRA/TDE) 9:26.
101. Romain Sicard (FRA/TDE) 9:26.
102. Nikias Arndt (GER/SUN) 9:26.
103. Tim Wellens (BEL/LOT) 9:32.
104. Jens Keukeleire (BEL/LOT) 9:32.
105. Anthony Perez (FRA/COF) 9:32.
106. Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA/DDT) 9:32.
107. Gorka Izagirre (ESP/AST) 9:32.
108. Pierre-Luc Périchon (FRA/COF) 9:32.
109. Yves Lampaert (BEL/DEC) 9:38.
110. Christophe Laporte (FRA/COF) 9:43.
111. Toms Skujinš (LAT/TRE) 9:43.
112. Elia Viviani (ITA/DEC) 10:21.
113. Marcus Burghardt (GER/BOR) 10:21.
114. Daniel Oss (ITA/BOR) 10:21.
115. Lukas Pöstlberger (AUT/BOR) 10:21.
116. Jasper Philipsen (BEL/UAE) 11:34.
117. Jens Debusschere (BEL/KAT) 13:58.
118. Iván García (ESP/BAH) 13:58.
119. Yoann Offredo (FRA/WGG) 13:58.
120. Benjamin King (USA/DDT) 13:58.
121. Oliver Naesen (BEL/ALM) 13:58.
122. Frederik Backaert (BEL/WGG) 13:58.
123. Paul Ourselin (FRA/TDE) 13:58.
124. Koen de Kort (NED/TRE) 13:58.
125. Michael Hepburn (AUS/MIT) 13:58.
126. Kevin Van Melsen (BEL/WGG) 13:58.
127. Rick Zabel (GER/KAT) 13:58.
128. Damiano Caruso (ITA/BAH) 13:58.
129. Matthieu Ladagnous (FRA/FDJ) 13:58.
130. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA/DDT) 13:58.
131. Patrick Bevin (NZL/CCC) 13:58.
132. William Bonnet (FRA/FDJ) 13:58.
133. Lukasz Wisniowski (POL/CCC) 13:58.
134. Fabien Grellier (FRA/TDE) 13:58.
135. Michael Schär (SUI/CCC) 13:58.
136. Stéphane Rossetto (FRA/COF) 13:58.
137. Serge Pauwels (BEL/CCC) 13:58.
138. Carlos Verona (ESP/MOV) 13:58.
139. Luke Durbridge (AUS/MIT) 13:58.
140. Imanol Erviti (ESP/MOV) 13:58.
141. Alex Dowsett (GBR/KAT) 13:58.
142. Marco Haller (AUT/KAT) 13:58.
143. Christopher Juul-Jensen (DEN/MIT) 13:58.
144. Luke Rowe (GBR/INE) 13:58.
145. Caleb Ewan (AUS/LOT) 13:58.
146. Niki Terpstra (NED/TDE) 13:58.
147. Jose Goncalves (POR/KAT) 13:58.
148. Alberto Bettiol (ITA/EF1) 13:58.
149. Jasper De Buyst (BEL/LOT) 13:58.
150. Sven Erik Bystrom (NOR/UAE) 13:58.
151. Chad Haga (USA/SUN) 13:58.
152. Dylan van Baarle (NED/INE) 13:58.
153. Vegard Laengen (NOR/UAE) 13:58.
154. Anthony Turgis (FRA/TDE) 13:58.
155. Florian Vachon (FRA/ARK) 13:58.
156. Kévin Ledanois (FRA/ARK) 13:58.
157. Sébastian Langeveld (NED/EF1) 13:58.
158. Alexander Kristoff (NOR/UAE) 13:58.
159. Niccolò Bonifazio (ITA/TDE) 13:58.
160. Amaël Moinard (FRA/ARK) 13:58.
161. André Greipel (GER/ARK) 13:58.
162. Alexis Gougeard (FRA/ALM) 13:58.
163. Anthony Delaplace (FRA/ARK) 13:58.
164. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/JUM) 13:58.
165. Tony Martin (GER/JUM) 13:58.
166. Michael Morkov (DEN/DEC) 13:58.
167. Magnus Nielsen (DEN/AST) 13:58.
168. Aimé De Gendt (BEL/WGG) 13:58.
169. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG/DEC) 13:58.
170. Stephen Cummings (GBR/DDT) 13:58.
171. Amund Jansen (NOR/JUM) 13:58.
172. Benoît Cosnefroy (FRA/ALM) 13:58.
173. Tom Scully (NZL/EF1) 13:58.
174. Roger Kluge (GER/LOT) 13:58.
175. Cees Bol (NED/SUN) 13:58.
176. Kasper Asgreen (DEN/DEC) 20:26.
