Omega Pharma Quick Step's Tony Martin won the first Individual Time Trial at the 100th Tour De France.
A 33km course departing in the Celtic town of Avrances to Mont Saint Michel, famed for its church on a rocky granite island, Orica Green Edge's Sven Tuft set the early time to beat of 38.04
That was 2.03 better than Team Sky's Ian Stannard and 2.05 better than Geraint Thomas, who continues despite his fractured pelvis and Mark Cavendish who came in with a time of 42 minutes after having urine thrown at him by an idiot out on the course which saw Jerome Pineau write on Twitter: "Yesterday I was so proud to see the support at the race but today I am ashamed. "Ashamed when my friend Mark Cavendish tells me he has been whistled and even sprayed with urine on the course. It's scandalous."
Tuft had been second fastest at the first checkpoint at Ducey after 9.5kms but fastest at the Courtils checkpoint after 22 kilometres.
The riders continued to go off at two minute intervals and onto the course came World Time Trial Champion Tony Martin. Despite, still suffering injuries from the first stage crash, The Omega Pharma Quick Step rider was 22 seconds faster than Tuft at the first check points and 39 seconds ahead of Thomas De Gendt at the second and flew home in a new fastest time of 36.29 at an average speed of 54.271km/h.
De Gendt came in a minute and one second down on Martin's time to provisionally go second.
With less than fifty riders less to start, Martin's time was far and away still the best time. It was still the best time when last down the ramp was race leader Chris Froome on a Custom black and yellow Pinarello Bolide.
Froome set the fastest time at the first check point and 2,27 seconds faster at the second checkpoint but came home twelve seconds down to give Tony Martin the stage win but increase his overall lead in the General Classification.
Martin said to Eurosport after his victory; " I had a terrible last thirty minutes. " I did not expect Froome to come so close. It does not matter if you win by a second or a minute but it was a good time for me.
"The stage today suited me more than Chris Froome but you saw how much power he had."
Chris Froome said to Eurosport: "I'm really happy with that result. Time trialling is Tony Martin's speciality so I am happy to have finished second. I think I am going to need every second I can get the way these guys are riding."
Result 1. Martin 36:29, 2. C.Froome +12secs, 3. T.De Gendt +1:01, 4. R.Porte +1:21, 5. M.Kwiatkowski +123
General Classification; 1 Froome, 2 A. Valverde +3:25,
3 B.Mollema +3:37, 4 A. Contador +3:54, 5 L.Tendam +4:10