Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas said they produced one of their “best time trials ever” to dominate the third stage of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Thomas and his colleagues beat BMC Racing to win the team time trial by 37 seconds and now hold the top four places in the general classification.
Michal Kwiatkowski leads the race, with Gianni Moscon and Jonathan Castroviejo second and third respectively.
Thomas, who started the day in 20th place, is 21 seconds behind in fourth.
“It’s perfect,” said the 32-year-old Welshman. “We’ve ridden really well. It was fluid and fast. It’s probably one of Team Sky’s best time trials ever.
“Now we have four hard stages ahead of us. We’ve got several cards to play but it’ll still be difficult to win.”
Team Sky – looking to win the race for the sixth time in eight years – finished the 35km stage in 36 minutes 33 seconds. Lotto Soudal were third, 53 seconds back.
South Africa’s Daryl Impey held the leader’s jersey overnight but his Mitchelton-Scott team lost 56 seconds to the Sky riders, and he now sits eighth.
The race moves into the mountains on Thursday, with a 181km stage from Chazey-sur-Ain to Lans-en-Vercors.
Stage three result
Team time trial
1. Team Sky 36mins 33secs
2. BMC +37secs
3. Lotto +52secs
4. Mithcelton +56 secs
5. Quick-Step + 1min 1sec
General classification
1. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) 9hrs 20mins 21secs
2. Gianni Moscon (Ita/Team Sky) +3secs
3. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa/Team Sky) +9secs
4. Geraint Thomas (Wal/Team Sky) +21secs
5. Brent Bookwalter (US/BMC Racing) +48 secs
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