In short:
Grace Brown had a puncture during the third stage, before finishing in 30th position.
Brown is 31st on the overall standings.
What’s next?
The race heads south into Belgium during the fourth stage, which will finish in Liege.
Australian Olympic gold medallist Grace Brown has been hampered by a puncture during a time trial on stage three of the Tour de France Femmes, as defending champion Demi Vollering took the yellow jersey.
Brown was flying on a custom-designed bike emblazoned with ‘Golden Grace’ but instead victory in the short time trial through the streets of Rotterdam went to Vollering.
Vollering took the overall leader from fellow Dutch rider Charlotte Kool.
She finished the 6.3km dash over tram rails and bridges in downtown Rotterdam in seven minutes and 25 seconds.
Brown, who won gold in the women’s individual time trial at the Paris Olympics, finished in 30th position, 24 seconds slower than Vollering.
American Chloe Dygert, who won Olympic bronze behind Brown in the individual time trial and a gold on the track in the team pursuit, finished second behind Vollering in 7:30.
Vollering now leads the overall standings by three seconds from teammate Lorena Wiebes, with Dygert in third.
Brown, the best-placed Australian, is in 31st place, 24 seconds adrift.
On Wednesday night, Australian time, the eight-stage race leaves the southern Dutch town of Valkenburg and heads south into Belgium, finishing in Liège.
It then winds through eastern France to finish on Sunday at the top of the punishing climb of the Alpe d’Huez’s famous 21 hairpin bends.
AAP
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