Froome grabs yellow jersey in chaotic stage

HUY, Belgium — British rider Chris Froome took the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey after finishing second behind Spanish veteran Joacquim Rodriguez in Monday’s crash-marred third stage, as a second straight day of chaos caused around 20 riders to fall and several to quit.

The 2013 Tour winner Froome almost caught Rodriguez near the top of the day’s final climb, but the Spaniard held on for his second career Tour stage win five years after his first.

Froome now leads German rider Tony Martin — who is not a threat for overall victory — by just one second and is 13 seconds ahead of American rider Tejay Van Garderen, who is shaping up as a dangerous outsider.

— THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Britain’s Chris Froome puts on the overall leader’s yellow jersey on the podium of the third stage of the Tour de France in Huy, Belgium on Monday. Crashes marred the race, causing several riders to quit the tour.