Slovak sensation Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) made a tough uphill climb to the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer look easy, winning his second stage in his debut Tour de France. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) and Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) filled the minor placings.
It was a stage filled with drama with multiple crashes forcing the first two abandonments of this 99th edition of the Tour, and leaving several riders nursing injuries.
Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) maintained his seven second overall lead over Bradley Wiggins (Sky), while Michael Morkov's spell in the break should see him safe in the polka dot jersey for a few more days. Stage 3 however, belongs to Sagan who now holds a 42-point lead in the battle for the maillot vert.