Australian Stuart O'Grady made up for yesterday's double disappointment to take the yellow jersey after the third stage of the Tour de France.
The Credit Agricole rider, who admitted he was "devastated" after narrowly missing out on both yellow and green jerseys 24 hours earlier, snatched the Tour lead for the second time in his career.
O'Grady came home in the middle of the peloton in the same time as stage winner Erik Zabel, who outsprinted the pack in the finish in Seraing near Liege.
The German's winning stage performance also put him in the same green jersey, awarded to the best sprinter that he has won for the past five years.
O'Grady, who had the green jersey taken off him after a recount yesterday, started the day in Antwerp 12 seconds behind Belgian Marc Wauters.
Wauters of the Rabobank side wore yellow through his hometown of Lummen today, but failed to live with the pace on the three climbs in the closing 34kilometres of the 198km stage.
O'Grady revealed the news of Wauters' demise, relayed to him via his earpiece, was the first time he realised he was in with a chance of yellow.
"I heard Wauters was 25 seconds behind after the climb," he said.
"I started to think I just have to stay in touch. My team-mates helped me superbly on the last climb."
The 27-year-old then held on in the closing kilometres as the sprinters, led by Zabel's Telekom team, jockeyed for position.
O'Grady will now take a 17-second lead over prologue winner Christophe Moreau into tomorrow's stage from Huy over the border into France and to Verdun.
Meanwhile defending champion Lance Armstrong moved back into the top 10, 21 seconds behind O'Grady.
Armstrong's biggest rival Jan Ullrich remains three seconds and two places behind the Texan in ninth.
The red polka-dot jersey, awarded to the best climber, also switched hands today with Benoit Serrand of AG2R-Decathlon taking possession from La Francaise des Jeux's Jacky Durand. -PA