ARENBERG, France — A punctured tire Tuesday may have popped the balloon of Lance Armstrong's Tour de France chances.

After an ill-timed flat left Armstrong pedaling furiously and ultimately alone, without a teammate left to lead him back to the front, the seven-time champion fell from fifth overall to 18th after the 132.36-mile Stage 3 from Wanze, Belgium, to the finish line here, the first in France.

Yet not even his ferocious efforts over the last few miles into this mining town — where dust covered the bikes and coated the faces of riders — could save him from dropping chunks of time to some of his main rivals. He is 2 minutes, 30 seconds behind Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who regained the yellow jersey and had won Saturday's prologue.

Tuesday's stage carried the peloton, already bruised from crash-filled racing, through an early spill that Armstrong managed to avoid and then along seven cobblestoned sections.

Armstrong had started the day ahead of defending champion Alberto Contador, 2009 runner-up Andy Schleck, Schleck's brother Frank and 2007 runner-up Cadel Evans of Australia. But that early crash took out Frank Schleck who, according to a team spokesman, broke his collarbone.

When the day was over, when Armstrong's catching-up efforts weren't enough, he not only had dropped 13 spots but was now 50 seconds behind Contador.

About his chances of winning an eighth title in this final year of racing the Tour, Armstrong said, "They dropped (Tuesday), no doubt about it. We have to keep our head up."

The Stage 3 winner was sprinter Thor Hushovd of Norway, who rides for the Cervelo Test Team. Hushovd won in 4 hours, 39.38 seconds. Overall leader Cancellara, of Saxo Bank, is 23 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas of Britain and 39 seconds ahead of Evans.

dpucin@tribune.com