Peter Sagan prepares himself ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Peter Sagn wore special edition 100% Speedcraft Air sunglasses for the stage, which feature magnets to improve nasal air flow - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Quick-Step Floors use their Roval time trial wheels to promote the Specialized Foundation - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Quick-Step Floors' riders each wore team-issue oversocks - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Sagan's S-Works Shiv TT received yellow decals to celebrate his yellow jersey - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Peter Sagan sits in the stage ahead of heading to the start ramp - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Stage two winner and world champion completed the stage in a yellow skinsuit - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Magnus Cort's Argon 18 time trial bike - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Dion Smith wore the polka dot jersey for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the rear of John Degenkolb's Santini speedsuit including the integrated race number holder - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Astana's Giordana speedsuit has a zip at the rear of the piece to improve aerodynamics - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Heinrich Haussler stretches out ahead of the stage while wearing an ice vest ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Tom Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) Trek Speed - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
25mm Continental Grand Prix TT tyres were a popular choice for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Sportful provided Bahrain-Merida with new oversocks for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Marcel Kittel's Canyon Speedmax CF SLX - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Marcel Kittel's Katusha-Alpecin team are another team to line up ahead of the stage with team-issue ice vests - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Katusha-Alpecin wear aero oversocks from Sidi - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Tony Martin retains his infamous grip taped saddle for the time trial - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sunweb wear team issue ice vests for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sunweb's Giant Propel framesets featured proprietary bottle cages and bottles from Giant - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Dylan Groenewegen enjoys an ice lolly ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Primoz Roglic raced the stage on a special edition Bianchi Aquila, first presented to the rider earlier in the year - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Chavanel wears Giro Empire SLX with yellow laces to celebrate the Tour de France - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Ridley's Dean Fast frameset features vents in the forks for aerodynamic performance - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Wanty Groupe-Gobert are another team to use a disc-equipped time trial bike - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Direct Energie raced the stage on their Wilier Turbine Disc time trial bike - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Sylvain Chavanel wore a red race number for the stage after an extended solo breakaway on stage two of the race - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
AG2R La Mondiale used heavily lubricated chains for the race - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Romain Bardet's Ekoi time trial-specific helmet - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Romain Bardet stayed cool ahead of the stage by stuffing stockings filled with ice down the back of his jersey - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Pierre Latour has a custom finished Factor Slick as French national time trial champion - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Alexander Kristoff raced the stage wearing the green jersey (as a skinsuit) - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Dan Martin wore unbrander aerodynamic overshoes - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
EF-Drapac are another team to use the CeramicSpeed OSPW system - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Sep Vanmarcke draped himself in a wet towel ahead of the stage to keep his core temperature down - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Richie Porte and his BMC Racing teammates wore new speedsuits from Assos - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The BMC Racing team wore new oversocks from Assos - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Endura's Drag2Zero speedsuit extends to the Movistar Team's overshoes - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
UCI commissaires checked every single bike with a tablet for technological fraud ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Geraint Thomas wears the new Castelli Body Paint 4.2b speedsuit - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Recent national time trial champion Geraint Thomas had a nod to his title on his right sleeve - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Movistar sit in the shade in their Endura Drag2Zero speedsuits ahead if the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Movistar and Team Sky used slimmer-profiled Elite bidons with their time trial bikes - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Geraint Thomas raced with the custom, 3D printed titanium cockpit from Pinarello - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Luke Rowe pours water on his speedsuit ahead of the stage in an attempt to stay cool ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Egan Bernal, Colombia's national time trial champion, gets his bike assessed by the UCI ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sky have continued to use the paint job from the 2016 season on their time trial machines - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at Chris Froome's drivetrain - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Chris Froome ran 58/46 elliptical chainrings for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Chris Froome added grippy material to the top of his Fizik Ares saddle to help maintain position for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Chris Froome heads the start line of the stage 3 time trial - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the drive side of Thomas' Pinarello - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sky are racing the Tour de France with orcas on their backs to highlight plastic pollution in the oceans - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
It appears the new helmet from Scott has a removable lower section for use as an aero road helmet - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the Mitchelton-Scott Giordana oversocks - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Mitchelton-Scott's Scott Plasma time trial bikes sit against the fence ahead of their team time trial effort, each rider was equipped with a Lightweight Autobahn rear wheel - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Several teams' speedsuits now feature integrated race number holders - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the new aero helmets from Scott - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Richie Porte warms up alongside Simon Gerrans ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
An aluminium time trial bike jig checked every bike ahead of the stage to ensure each bike complied with the rules - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Mitchelton-Scott raced the stage on new aero-specific time trial helmets from Scott - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Greg Van Avermaet, who moved into the yellow jersey after the stage, warms-up in his time trial position ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Multiple riders warmed-up with menthol-soaked cotton buds in their noses to clear their nasal passages for the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sky warm-up in unison ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Katusha-Alpecin also appeared to use non-standard chainrings, with unbranded outer rings on their Sram cranksets - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The flat and fast team time trial course encouraged 58-tooth chainrings for the majority of riders, with Bahrain-Merida sourcing their chainrings from French component manufacturer TA Components - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Mark Cavendish's second Cervelo P5 - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Team Sunweb use the hashtag #Overachieve on their wheels - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
World time trial champion Tom Dumoulin had his custom time trial bike on display despite not being allowed to race upon it in the team time trial discipline - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Time trial bikes were being adjusted less than an hour ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Fortuneo-Samsic switched from Look bikes to BH just a week ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Lotto-Soudal raced the stage on a Ridley Dean Fast TT bike - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A closer look at Slagter's Shimano Ultegra calipers - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Tom-Jelte Slagter's time trial bike was equipped with Shimano Ultegra components - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Groupama-FDJ's Tobias Ludvigsson is the Swedish national time trial champion - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
An AG2R-La Mondiale mechanic double-checks measurements ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A Movistar mechanic adds some final chain lube to a team bike ahead of the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Direct Energie had to get creative for their computer mounts on their cockpits - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A Cofidis Kuota Kalibur - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Cofidis use CeramicSpeed's OSPW system on their Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleurs - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
TRP provides several WorldTour teams with aero-specific brake calipers - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Geraint Thomas rode the stage aboard his newly painted Pinarello Bolide in custom colours for the British time trial champion - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Mitchelton-Scott had fans lined up to prevent their riders getting too hot during a warm-up - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the Bontrager Speec Concept base bars on a Trek-Segafredo Trek Speed - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
EF-Drapac's Cannondale SuperSlices lined up on static trainers ready for a team warm-up - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Bahrain-Merida have customised mats for each of their riders - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Bahrain-Merida unveiled the Mwerida Time Warp TT on the stage - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The Tour de France stage three team time trial gave an opportunity for the general classification teams who had already lost some time in the opening two stages to recoup some of their losses.
BMC Racing, Team Sky and Mitchelton-Scott were a trio of teams hoping to do exactly that, putting the best part of a minute into the likes of Movistar, Bahrain-Merida and AG2R La Mondiale.
As gaps become closer and closer, the finest margins can win time trial stages and so gains are looked to be made everywhere, even if resulting in only the smallest aero advantage.
While Team Sky made headlines earlier in the day with a new Castelli Body Paint 4.2b speedsuit, BMC Racing rolled down the start ramp in Cholet also wearing a new Assos speedsuit, alongside matching, team issue white and silver aero oversocks.
Geraint Thomas wears the new Castelli Body Paint 4.2b speedsuit - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Almost every team, bar those not expecting to perform well, were equipped with aero oversocks and speedsuits, alongside the expected time trial helmets and time trial-specific bikes.
Vincenzo Nibali’s Bahrain-Merida raced the stage on an as yet unseen new time trial frameset from Merida. The Merida Time Warp TT is an update to the existing Merida Warp frameset and sees several geometry, tubing and aero updates as Nibali mounts his GC challenge and aims for a second Tour de France title.
CeramicSpeed’s OSPW rear derailleur upgrade was a popular choice among several teams, with AG2R La Mondiale also looking to use the drivetrain efficiency specialists’ UFO Drip chain lubricant.
Geraint Thomas rode the stage aboard his newly painted Pinarello Bolide in custom colours for the British time trial champion - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A handful of newly crowned national time trial champions were at the race, with riders such as Geraint Thomas and Pierre Latour racing the stage aboard newly customised Pinarello Bolide TT and Factor Slick respectively painted in their national colours.
Click or swipe through the gallery above for a closer look at all the time trial tech on show from stage three at the Tour de France.
