Multiple Crashes Disrupt Tour de France Early Stages

The opening stages of the 2025 Tour de France have been marked by significant crashes and chaotic finishes, highlighting the high stakes and intense competition among riders. On stage one, Benjamin Thomas and Mattéo Vercher, both French riders competing for King of the Mountain points, crashed after a fierce sprint for a KOM point, with Thomas narrowly winning but taking both down in the process. Despite the crash, both riders were uninjured and determined to continue, with Vercher expressing no ill will towards Thomas. Stage three saw further chaos with multiple high-speed crashes on an easy parcours with headwinds, leading to several riders, including green jersey Jasper Philipsen and GC contender Remco Evenepoel, sustaining injuries or losing time. Philipsen won stage one and took the yellow jersey amid the crashes, while Evenepoel lost valuable seconds after being caught in a split in the peloton. The incidents underscore the dangerous nature of sprint finishes and the intense pressure riders face, with some choosing safety over victory amid the turbulence.