Tour de France 2022 Stage 3 preview: Route map and profile as Fabio Jakobsen eyes another sprint win

Stage 3 map from Vejle to Sonderborg  (letour)
Stage 3 map from Vejle to Sonderborg (letour)

The 2022 Tour de France’s spectacular jaunt around Denmark comes to an end today with a 182km route down the east coastline of the Danish mainland which is perfectly set up for the sprinters to fight for victory once more.

Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen triumphed on stage 2 to silence anyone questioning Quickstep’s decision to leave Mark Cavendish at home, and he will be hunting for another win amid a Tour de France with very few opportunities ahead for the fast men.

That means his sprint rivals will be equally determined to get their hands on a stage, with riders like Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) aiming to challenge Jakobsen at the finish in Sonderborg, a small town which straddles the Strait of Alssund.

The old town is on the island of Als which the newer suburbs have built up on the mainland side. The peloton must cross King Christian X's Bridge before sweeping round the southern and eastern edges of the town, which will bring them to a sharp left bend before the charge to the finish line on a street heading right into the heart of the Sonderborg called Augustenborg Landevej.

Stage 3 map (letour)
Stage 3 map (letour)

There are three category four climbs which the man in the King of the Mountains’ polka dot jersey, Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education), will target for more points to strengthen his grip. There is also an intermediate sprint shortly after the second of those climbs where the man in sprinters’ green, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), will hope to pick up some points.

Crosswinds could play a factor, especially in the second half of the route when the road hugs the coastline, and the main contenders will need to be wary of any potential attacks which could split the bunch. After yesterday’s crashes, staying safe and making to the finish intact will be the overriding priority of those hoping to challenge near the top of the general classification, like double champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) and Denmark’s very own Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

The Tour will pack its bags and head to north-west France over Monday’s first rest day.

Stage 3 profile (letour)
Stage 3 profile (letour)

Stage 2 start time

The stage is scheduled to begin at around 12:15pm BST and should finish around 4:15pm BST.

How to watch on TV and online

Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).

Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here.

Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here.

It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here.