High-speed fall forces Philipsen out of Tour de France
The fall ripped the green best sprinter's jersey from Philipsen's back as he slid at speed along the road.
"Displaced fracture of the right collarbone, surgery will definitely be required," Philipsen's team Alpecin said in a statement.
"At least one broken rib, possibly two... We wish Jasper all the best and a speedy recovery."
The Belgian's teammates initially stopped to help him, but were soon told by the Alpecin team to continue on their way as they realised the extent of the 27-year-old's injuries.
Coquard apologised at the finish, but stewards gave him and Belgian Edward Theuns yellow cards for "irregular sprinting".
Italian Davide Ballerini and Dutchman Danny van Poppel also received yellow cards for the same offence in the chaotic final sprint in Dunkirk.
The four riders, who were also fined 500 Swiss francs (535 euros, $627), are the first to receive yellow cards in the Tour de France. Under the newly-introduced system they will be thrown off the race if they receive a second yellow.
Philipsen won the 2023 green jersey as best sprinter on that edition of the Tour, and has 10 career victories in the race.
He was among the favourites to win the points classification again this year, but his withdrawal leaves Italian Jonathan Milan in the green jersey.
The third stage was eventually won by Belgium's Tim Merlier in a photo finish ahead of Milan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Belgium's Evenepoel to join Red Bull-Bora in 2026
The 25-year-old Belgian is one of cycling's brightest stars and won both the road race and time-trial titles at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He is also the current time-trial world champion, finished third at the 2024 Tour de France and has twice won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Monument race. Evenepoel also won his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a Espana in 2022. "Remco informed the team's management that he did not wish to discuss an extension of his current agreement, which expires at the end of 2026," Soudal Quick-Step said on Tuesday. "While we regret Remco's decision to leave, we will foster the memories that we have made and will continue to strive together to achieve some significant results for the rest of the season." Red Bull-Bora boss Ralph Denk hailed the signing as a landmark one for the team. "Remco brings not only exceptional athletic talent, but also a remarkable mindset. His determination, professionalism, and relentless drive to succeed are truly inspiring," he said. Evenepoel will race alongside Tour de France breakout star Florian Lipowitz, who came third and won the best young rider's white jersey. Red Bull also boast five-time Grand Tour winner Primoz Roglic. Denk described Evenepoel's arrival as a sign of "bold ambition to become one of the most attractive forces on the international cycling stage in the years to come".
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Are French cities' youth curfews effective in curbing drug-related violence?
The city of Nîmes in southern France is famous for its Roman arenas. Yet it has recently become the theatre for a series of shootings linked to the drug trade. First there was a shooting in a public square in the neighbourhood of Pissevin which left bullet marks on a nearby building and elevator door. Then there was the gruesome discovery of the partially charred, bullet-riddled body of a 19-year-old man in a nearby village. This violence, along with other shootings in broad daylight, led authorities in Nîmes on July 18 to enforce a curfew on young people. In doing so, they are following the example of French towns like Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine north of Paris and Villecresnes in the capital's southeastern suburbs. The ban, which prohibits anyone under 16 from being outside between 9pm and 6am in the most-affected areas of the city, is meant to prevent youth from 'being exposed to violence' and to 'contain tensions', according to a press release. These curfews – whose effectiveness is difficult to assess – are regularly challenged via the justice system, particularly by French rights group LDH (Ligue des droits de l'homme). Cinderella policy fails to stem urban violence Yet resorting to curfews fails to address structural issues like the police's inability to operate in some of France's most troubled neighbourhoods, some experts say. They claim the measure is more of a communication strategy for the authorities rather than an effective social policy. The problem of 'applying the law in certain poor neighbourhoods like Pissevin in Nîmes remains', Thomas Sauvadet, a sociologist and expert on youth delinquency at Paris Est Créteil University, says. 'The level of delinquency and criminality, whether economically motivated or not, makes police action difficult." Béziers, 120 kilometres southwest of Nîmes, also imposed a nighttime curfew for children under 13 last year. Its far-right mayor Robert Ménard decided to extend the measure last March to anyone under 15 in certain areas. "No 10-year-old out on the street at 2am is up to anything but mischief," Ménard said in 2024. Despite the ban, Béziers is still witness to scenes of shocking violence. In July, some 50 individuals in balaclavas lured police into a sensitive neighbourhood and then attacked them with fireworks, local media reported. The curfew is of course 'a communication strategy on the part of the public authorities', Laurent Mucchielli, a sociologist and research director at France's national reseach centre (CNRS) specialising in delinquency and security policy, says. 'They need to show they are doing something.' 'A curfew is not easy to enforce in neighbourhoods where the police only intervene in an offensive mode, and in urban configurations where their presence is quickly spotted by lookouts who alert the drug dealers,' Mucchielli says. Lack of perspectives Among the many factors that push young people into delinquency are a lack of perspectives, inter-familial violence, and difficulties at school which later lead to problems in accessing the job market, experts say. 'Let's not forget that it's easier for drug dealers to involve young people in their business because there are many teenagers in these poor neighbourhoods who left school early and have no qualifications,' Mucchielli says. 'Their parents are part of the 40 percent of the French population who can't afford to leave their homes to go on vacation, and they see this activity as 'a way out', or at least as a way to live a little better.' The adolescents and young adults who work as petits mains, or runners, in the illegal drug trade take enormous legal and personal risks. They prepare and deliver illegal drugs in exchange for modest payments while risking their lives and exposing themselves to legal action if they get caught. Their superiors higher up the ladder, on the other hand, can make hundreds of thousands of euros per day through their drug-dealing operations. After staking out their turf, they defend it tooth and nail from both the police and any competitors they perceive as a threat to their business. Mucchielli thinks that the police should be reinforced in order to better pursue those at the top of the drug-dealing chain, rather than going after petty drug-dealers. He also recommends rapidly resolving homicide attempts. 'The level of impunity is truly worrying. It terrifies inhabitants – and rightly so. And the youths who possess firearms and use them are generally over 16' – meaning the curfew does not apply to them.
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
After Ferrand-Prévot's triumph in the Tour de France Femmes, France 'is now enamored by women's cycling'
For 36 years, France had longed to see one of its riders finish the Tour de France wearing the yellow jersey. That wait ended on Sunday, August 3, in Châtel, Haute-Savoie, located in the Alps. "Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has found her Holy Grail," wrote Le Soir. The leader of the Visma-Lease a Bike team, winner of the 2025 edition and the "new Sun Queen," has "captivated" the country in recent days, wrote the Belgian daily. Like many international outlets, the paper celebrated the women's version of the Tour, packed with drama and standout moments. This was especially true after the men's race, where the suspense was short-lived. "The fourth edition of the modern Tour was predicted to be one for the history books (...) And it certainly delivered," observed American outlet The Athletic. Like other foreign publications, The Guardian highlighted the public enthusiasm surrounding the race, validating the vision of its director, former cyclist Marion Rousse. Rousse remarked that she was delighted "not to have seen a Tour de France Femmes, but a Tour de France" along the roadside. Record viewership figures (25.7 million viewers on France Télévisions) confirmed the enthusiasm.
