Cycling - Alaphilippe takes Tour stage three and yellow jersey

Cycling - Tour de France - The 215-km Stage 3 from Binche to Epernay - July 8, 2019 - Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Julian Alaphilippe of France celebrates on the podium, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

EPERNAY, France (Reuters) - France’s Julian Alaphilippe lived up to the hype as he snatched the Tour de France overall leader’s yellow jersey by winning the third stage on Monday.

The world number one jumped away from the pack in the Cote de Mutigny, a brutal 900-metre effort at an average gradient of 12.2%, to claim his third stage win in the race after a 215 kilometres ride from Binche, Belgium.