Marcus Kinhult saw his lead cut to one shot as the leaderboard tightened up on day three of the HNA Open de France.
An elite field had gathered at Le Golf National for the third Rolex Series event of the season and many of the world's best were right in contention on moving day.
Swede Kinhult was one over for his first three holes to sit at five under for the week, a shot clear of South African Dylan Frittelli and England's Chris Wood.
Rolex Series event winner Alex Noren was the clubhouse leader at three under after a 65 and he had some high-class company in Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Pedro Oriol, Belgian duo Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters, Ireland's Paul Dunne, England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and American Julian Suri.
Noren made fast progress through the field with birdies on the first, third, sixth, seventh, tenth and 13th and, when he took advantage of the par five 14th from five feet, he was in a share of second.
He found the water on the next to drop a first shot of the day but was soon replaced at four under by Frittelli.
The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open champion had birdied the first and third before hitting the green at the driveable par four sixth and holing an enormous putt for eagle.
He was soon three back, however, after Kinhult chipped in on the first to get to seven under and bring a fist-pumping celebration.
Detry had turned in 32 with birdies on the first, third, fifth, eighth and ninth and a bogey on the fourth. A sixth birdie of the day on the tenth moved him into the group in second.
That group was soon just one back as Kinhult put his tee-shot on the par three second in the water to concede a double-bogey.
That brought all the players at three under right into the mix and that group was swelling rapidly.
Garcia had gains on the first, third and sixth, and Dunne picked up shots on the first and third.
Fitzpatrick had holed an 18-footer for birdie on the second while Suri picked up a stroke on the third.
Oriol birdied the fourth and fifth to also join that group and Noren set the target there as he parred his final three holes.
World Number Five Jon Rahm found the water off the third tee to surrender a double-bogey but he was soon replaced two shots off the lead by Pieters, who turned in 33 with birdies on the first, fourth, seventh and ninth and a bogey on the third.
A Detry bogey on the 12th put him in the group at three under, one clear of World Number Two Justin Thomas, Spanish pair Jorge Campillo and Adrian Otaegui, Rolex Series event winner Tyrrell Hatton and Swede Alexander Björk.
Wood started his round with three pars.
