Tim Merlier avoids crashes to take Stage 3 in photo finish
Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 3 - Valenciennes to Dunkirk - Dunkirk, France - July 7, 2025 Soudal Quick-Step's Tim Merlier celebrates on the podium after winning stage 3 REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
FRANCE - Tim Merlier of Belgium won a crash-marred Stage 3 of the Tour de France, just in front of Italy's Jonathan Milan in a photo finish at Dunkirk, France.
The hotly contested final sprint included a pair of crashes in the final 5 kilometers, and did not include sprint leader Jesper Philipsen of Belgium, who came away with injuries to his back and right side after a high-speed crash earlier in the stage and abandoned the race.
Philipsen took the sprint at the finish line of Stage 1 and was in the leader's yellow jersey heading into Stage 2.
Dutch cyclist and Stage 2 winner Mathieu Van der Poel retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after Stage 3, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia remaining in second place. Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark was in third.
Matteo Jorgenson of the United States was in fifth place after three stages, while fellow American Neilson Powless was in 12th overall.
Monday's stage was the shortest of the three contested so far at 178.3 kilometers after starting in Valenciennes.
Stage 4 on Tuesday will be a hilly 174.2-kilometer route from Amiens Metropole to Rouen. International cycling's premier 21-stage race will come to a conclusion on July 27 in Paris.
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