Race leader Fabian Cancellara and points leader Tom Boonen prepare for stage three between Waregem and Compiegne

The 236.5km ride is the longest stage this year and just 6km in Nicolas Vogondy and Matthieu Ladagnous make a break

Team CSC control the peloton and after allowing the leaders to go 13 minutes ahead, start reeling them in

And by the time Vogondy and Ladagnous reach the 100km mark, their advantage is around eight minutes 30 seconds

Cancellara drops back to his team car before his CSC team pick up the pace and close the gap to four and a half minutes

With around 50km remaining, Liquigas's Frederik Willems becomes one of two riders to join the leading group

The other is Stephane Auge who does enough in the fourth category climb to take the polka dot jersey from David Millar

The leaders find their lead over the peloton shortening all the time and only 30 seconds separate them with 4km to go

Sensationally with just yards to go, tour leader Fabian Cancellara breaks from the pack to pass the leaders and win

The stage victory sees the Swiss rider extend his lead over second placed Andreas Kloeden from 13 to 33 seconds