Australian Michael Rogers has moved to second place in the Tour de France, after finishing second in the tough 216.5km third stage from Luxembourg to Valkenburg in the Netherlands.

Rogers was five seconds behind his T-Mobile team-mate Matthias Kessler and is now just one-second behind World Champion Tom Boonen overall.

Boonen has assumed the race leader’s yellow jersey after finishing fourth in the stage, with Italian Daniele Bennati third.

Kessler, who tried in vain to win yesterday's stage - he was overtaken shortly before the finish line by Australia's Robbie McEwen - launched a daring attack on the hilly final kilometres to win with room to spare.

Kessler played his hand perfectly attacking with just three kilometres remaining.

A five-man breakaway that had threatened to go all the way to the finish was swallowed by the peloton with around 15km to race.

Australian Stuart O’Grady was one of several riders to fall in the hectic finale to the stage. He is in doubt for the rest of the Tour after x-rays confirmed he has broken an vertebrae in his lower back. A team spokesman said a decision about his continued participation would be taken overnight.

"He has fractured it in a way that means he may still be able to race," team spokesman Bryan Nyygard said.

"Stuart is in pain and obviously bruised, but the doctors at the hospital as well as our team doctor feel he could still start.”

O’Grady is now in 157th place over 11 minutes back.

The news is better for the other Australians. Cadel Evans was in the main pack five seconds behind Vessler and is 11th overall, 20 seconds behind. Robbie McEwen who lost 34 secs today is in 29th spot and Simon Gerrans is 82nd, 59 seconds off the yellow jersey.

The fourth stage will take the peloton over 207 kms from Huy (Belgium) to Saint-Quentin.

AOC