Alberto Contador got safely through today's third stage of the Tour de France which on paper seemed to be an easy one. In the finale, however, the Spaniard had to ride pretty hard to avoid getting caught out in the splits.

Alberto Contador had nothing to gain but a lot to lose in today's flat Tour de France stage to London. However, his Tinkoff-Saxo team did a great job to keep him protected on the slippery roads in the finale, with Daniele Bennati, Michael Mørkøv, Matteo Tossato and Nicolas Roche all taking turns on the front of the peloton.

In the end, Contador finished safely with the bunch but it required a big effort for him as several splits occured in the finale.

"Thanks to my team, they have been fantastics," he said."We have finished these three stages safely, using as little energy as possible. Now it is important to rest because the next stage and the cobbles are already on the horizon.

"To avoid the splits, I've done 500-550 watts which is not bad with  62 kilos in a flat stage.You have to have to respect these stages because everything can be ruined by a crash and it is important to avoid risks."

"It was a very beautiful stage considering the historical surroundings and the organizers have done a very good job organizing the stages in England," sports director Philippe Mauduit said. "And likewise during the race, everything started out nicely before entering the suburbs of London where the battle for position intensified and combined with the rain starting to come down, it was a living battlefield.

"But I think our riders secured Alberto really well and he was in no danger at any point despite the many corners and slippery asphalt. Now, we're moving to France and I expect another classic sprinter stage."