Mark Cavendish of Dimension Data has equalled Bernard Hinaut's record for stage wins in the Tour De France when the Manx Missile took the win on the third stage of the 103rd Tour De France in Angers.
This stage which had Peter Sagan of Tinkoff in the yellow jersey, Mark Cavendish in the Green Points Jersey, Jasper Stuyven in the KOM jersey, Julian Alaphilippe in the Young Riders jersey and Orica BikeExchange leading the Team competition was from Granville to Angiers on a cloudy day..
Granville or 'Monaco Of The North' was hosting this 223.5km stage for the second time, (1957 the last time) and this town of 13,000 inhabitants watched on as the riders made their way through this offically classed Tourist Resort on the D924 road.
Armindo Fonseca (Fortuneo-Vital Concept).and one of four Breton's in the race was first to make a move and after fifteen kilometres, he was 6.30 clear.
That went out to 8.25 as he hoovered up the single point on offer on the day's only climb at Villedieu-les-Poëles.
The 27 year old kept working away, 11.05 clear after 25kms and he went on to cover 38.4km in the first hour of racing.
The peloton had had enough and they started to slowly reel him in. The gap dropped to 7.50 after 44kms and 6.10 as he went through St-Hilaire-du-Harcouët with 61kms gone.
Fonseca covered 30km in the second hour of racing at an average speed of 34.2km/h was 6.04 ahead as he went through the city of Fougères where Mark Cavendish won stage 7 of the Tour de France in 2015.
Going though Tallis with 113.8kms left and Fonseca's lead had been reduced to just under three minutes. However, the peloton who had been taking it at a very steady pace, allowed Fonseca to get some of his time back and with 100kms left, his lead stood at 4.22.
There was 84kms to go when Tommy Voeckler of Direct Energie decided that the race needed shaking up and he went after Fonseca who was 4.23 further up the road.
Voeckler got up to Fonseca two kilometres later at Gastines and the pair continued on their way.
The sprint came at Bouille Meinard with 52.5kms left and it was Armindo Fonseca who took the points ahead of Voeckler, whilst Marcel Kittel led home the peloton, followed by Alexander Kristoff, race leader . Peter Sagan and points jersey wearing Mark Cavendish.
With 33kms left, the peloton had Fonseca and Voeckler dangling with lead of 42 seconds.
That lead was at 48 as the duo went through Saint Clement De La Place with just under twenty kilometres to go and heading for Angers which had last hosted a finish in 2004 that was won by Tom Boonen.
The gap was at twenty seconds going into the final fifteen kilometres on the D103 road but Fonseca and Voeckler kept fighting, determined to stay away for as long as possible.
Fonseca and Voeckler were caught with 9.3kms to go and Trek Segafrdo, Etixx and Dimension Data came to the fore.
The pace shot up with Etixx and Cancellera of Trek Segafedo on the front as they came into Angers which was hosting the race for the eighteenth time.
Orica had a man crash with 1.8kms to go but Mark Cavendish was handily placed as was Sagan and Matthews.
Dylan Gronewegen tried but up came Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel. The pair battled it out and it was a photo finish. The judges looked at the photo but it was Cavendish who won ahead of Greipel in 5.59.54.
Bryan Coquard was third with Peter Sagan in fourth and Edward Theuns in fifth. British rider Dan McLay was ninth.
Peter Sagn continues to lead the race by eight seconds with Chris Froome moving up to fourth place on GC.