Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won the bunch sprint to win stage three of the Tour de France in Dunkerque by a whisker, after a day that saw multiple notable crashes including one that took green jersey Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) out of the race.
Philipsen, the winner of stage one and the first yellow jersey of the race, crashed heavily in the intermediate sprint at Isbergues, landing on his shoulder.
The final few kilometres weren't an easy ride for the GC favourites either, with Merlier's Soudal Quick-Step team-mate Remco Evenepoel coming down in a crash caused by a dramatic narrowing of the road. However, he rode into the finish without losing time.
There was also a heavy crash just behind the front runners in the final sprint for the stage win, although everyone appeared to get back on to finish.
It was a really hard battle," Merlier said afterwards of what was his second win in the Tour de France. He praised the team his work had done in the final five kilometres, and added: "I think it was in the last two kilometres I fought back from behind to come back in position. With Jonathan Milan it's always difficult to beat him… I'm happy."
Of the super-tight winning margin, European champion Merlier that the doubt only start to creep in after he'd raised his hands in celebration: "At first I was sure," he said. "Though when you put your hands in the air, then I was not sure anymore. I was waiting…"
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"The headwind was really difficult," he added, "you use a lot of energy to be in position, but I know that if I'm in position I can make it so I was focusing on that in the end".
"I was coming over here to win the stage. Of course, taking the yellow jersey was the goal but I'm happy I have the stage," he concluded.
The top six on General Classification remained the same, with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) still leading, with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) second and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) third.
Milan, despite coming second, did get his own consolation prize in the form of the green jersey, which had passed virtually to Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) after Philipsen crashed, pending the final sprint.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How it happened
Dead flat with a single intermediate sprint and only single cat-four climb to raise the terrain above sea-level (give or take), today's 178.3km outing from Valenciennes to Dunkerque had all the hallmarks of a potential 'least eventful stage of the Tour'. Uh-uh.
Thirty kilometres or so down the road, UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tim Wellens was allowed to go clear by the bunch and, perhaps more pertinently, Tadej Pogačar, to collect the single point on offer on the Mont Cassel classified climb, and make the Slovenian's polka-dot jersey his own, before returning to the peloton.
Other than that, the race remained together for much of the day.
The final run-in to Dunkerque was buffered by a five-kilometre safety zone in recognition of a tricky city finish, and indeed there were two multi-rider crashes in the final three kilometres – the first taking place when narrowing barriers saw the race condense suddenly, and the second in the final few hundred metres on a sweeping right-hand bend.
It was as fraught as it sounds, with teams swapping places at the head of the lead-out, and Lidl-Trek, despite taking the front at the right time and looking good for delivering Milan to his first Tour de France win, being piggybacked by Merlier, who went on to take full advantage.
Results
Tour de France stage three: Valenciennes > Dunkerque (178.3km)
1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 4:16:55 2. Jonathan Milan (Ita) Lidl-Trek 3. Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 4 Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility 5. Pavel Bittner (Cze) Picnic PostNL 6. Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty 7. Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck 8. Pascal Ackermann (Ger) IPT 9. Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkéa-B&B Hotels 10. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, all at same time
General Classification after stage three
1. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck, in 12:55:37 2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirate-XRG, +4s 3. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, +6s 4. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Hotels, +10s 5. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike 6. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, all at same time 7. Joseph Blackmore (GBR) Israel-Premier Tech, +41s 8. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility 9. Ben O’Connor, (Aus) Jayco AlUla, all at same time 10. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Cofidis, +49s
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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields.
Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.
He has worked at a variety of races, from the Classics to the Giro d'Italia – and this year will be his seventh Tour de France.
A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.
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