May 8, 2004 – The 203.1 km stage was the most difficult terrain to date, and Marc Streel's 1'37″ lead was sure to be tested. With three bonus sprints in the first 80km, the action started fast, but unlike the previous day, Landbouwkredit-Colnago sent the team to the front, and stopped the aggression by riding a steady tempo immediately. The apathetic approach of yesterday's leading Cofidis team was in sharp contrast to the confident Colnago squad that put the peloton under control in the first 10 km of racing.

Streel's team had a stronghold on the field until the day's first climb at 80km. A flurry of strong attacks sent the Landbouwkredit-Colnago guys backwards and 20 riders went clear. The red and white Colnago squad regrouped, and with the help of several other teams that had missed the split, brought the field together. The pace was now very high, and riders were single file with several being dropped on every rise. The day's first KOM at Guines forced a definitive break that included French Champ Didier Rous (Boulangere), AG2R's Nazon, Stijn Devolder of US Postal, Julian Mink (BankGiro), Baden Cooke and Christophe Mengin (FDJ). As the gap went to two minutes, the Landbouwkredit-Colnago boys drove the peloton over the series of rolling hills and narrow roads, and when the break hit the final climb before the still hilly finishing circuit, the leaders were coming apart and within sight of the chase.

With perfect execution, Boulangere launched 2002 Dunkirk winner Sylvain Chavanel, and the young French phenom shot across to his teammate Rous. The two 'baker boys' were in their perfect element on the hilly finishing circuit, quickly gaining over one minute. The best effort of Streel's still intact team could not bring the duo back, and they crossed the line together with Rous getting the stage, and Chavanel claiming best young rider. Forty nine seconds later, Postal's Max VanHeeswijk took the long 1.5km sprint for third in front of Jaan Kirsipuu and Danilo Hondo.

Saturday's 186 km event on a very hilly 23 km circuit should be the toughest day of the tour.

Stage-3 Results:
1. Didier Rous (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere
2. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere
3. Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) US Postal Service

Overall G.C.:
1. Marc Streel (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago 13.45.27
2. Didier Rous (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere 0.51
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Brioches La Boulangere