Ineos Grenadiers sent four riders to the Tour de France top 10, but were baffled by the strength of Wout Van Aert and Taddei Pogachar.

Adam Yates is fourth overall, 39 seconds behind Pogachar, Tom Pidcock is fifth, 40 seconds behind, Geraint Thomas is sixth, 46 seconds behind, and Dani Martinez is eighth, 1:00 back.

The peloton was shaken up on the hill to Longwy, and Pidcock finished 4th, not far behind stage winner Pogachar.

After attacking for almost the entire stage, Van Aert lost the yellow jersey, but left his mark on the day and on his rivals. The Belgian attacked repeatedly, hoping to break away in a large group. Eventually he pulled away from Jacob Fuglsang (Israel Premier Tech) and Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and even tried to break away on his own.

He was eventually caught and kept at a distance, but left the peloton and the Ineos Grenadiers in awe.

"What he was going to do was unbelievable," Thomas said after the usual warm-down on the team bus after the goal.

"It was insane, the power he had and what he was doing. There was so much power, I don't know what else to say. It was impressive, Pogachar and Wout Van Art are on a higher level than anyone else right now.

Pidcock's opinion of van Aert was a bit more blunt, but probably contained some praise: "He's playing with our balls, isn't he? He's taking the piss, isn't he?

Yates was also sarcastic.

"He was just trying to win. Yates said. 'We were lucky he wasn't there for the finale.'

Thomas rode in the gilet even though he was 18 seconds behind Pogachar in the opening time trial of the Tour de France.

However, he lost another five seconds in the heavily hilly finish of the Longwy, where he collided with Nielson Powles.

"It was a fast day, just like old times. I thought I had reached my limit. I obviously felt it at the end, but I just kept going," Thomas explained. [I don't want to make excuses. On the last climb, I just let go of the gap and let the others take over.

"In the end I was just trying to keep the wheels coming out of the corners.

Martinez finished in the same position as Pogachar, suggesting that his legs were good as the finish talk turned to the mountain finish of La Planche des Belles Filles on Friday.

"Pogachar was better in the sprint, but I'm thinking about the coming stages," the Colombian climber stated.

"My legs are good, but it was a bit complicated and very fast. Thanks to the help of my teammates." [Tomorrow will be the first contact with the mountains. There are four riders in the top 20, so my motivation is high. I have a good feeling at the moment, but I want to see what my legs are really like in the mountains"

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The climb up to La Planche des Belle Filles continued for 7 km, crossing the original finish line and including a dirt road with a 24% slope just before the new finish, which was again called the Super Planche des Belle Filles.

This mountain finish will reveal the true strength of this year's Tour de France overall contenders and whether anyone will be able to match Pogachar.

It will also reveal the true strength and chances of Yates, Thomas, Pidcock, and Martinez.

"It doesn't determine the leader of the team," Martinez diplomatically insisted.

"What matters most is the race, and whoever wins it."