Yates' mishap, his second in two days, happened with 31 kilometres left to race. But it was only a momentary bounce with Jack Bauer instantly there to assist the Brit.
More teammates quickly fell back to help and Yates was back with the bunch just a few kilometres later, avoiding another time loss after haemorrhaging one minute and seven seconds on stage 1.
Durbridge was the next in the squad to fall, his front wheel taken out in the chaos of the final five kilometres.
"Those finishes are pretty sketchy anyway so you just try and move up and do your job and someone decided to turn left and that was my front wheel," the Australian told SBS with a smile.
"I know what it is when you break a bone. I should be fine, just skin. I'm lucky the whole peloton didn't run me over. Could've been worse. We're all good. I don't think we lost time."
The Aussie diesel is a key rider for stage 3's team time trial and even if it is just some skin, the discipline of a team time trial punishes any injury. But it is still a stage he is relishing.
"Tomorrow's a really great day for us. Hopefully one of the highlights of the Tour."
South African Daryl Impey's fall within the final two kilometres looked perhaps the most dramatic but team director Matt White said everyone's fine.
"Again it hasn't been the smoothest of runs today but they're OK, they're going to be fine for tomorrow," White told SBS.
"(Durbridge's) one of our strongest guys for sure. Look it's the first nine day sof th etour. You win some, you lose some.
"We sit down recover focus on tomorrow and make sure the boys are OK."
