Tim Merlier Wins Crash-Marred Tour de France Stage 3

Tim Merlier won the third stage of the Tour de France in a dramatic sprint finish in Dunkirk, narrowly beating Jonathan Milan in a photo finish. The flat 178-179 km stage was marred by multiple crashes, including a severe accident involving Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen, who had to abandon the race due to serious injuries. Despite the chaos, Mathieu van der Poel retained the yellow jersey and remains the overall race leader, followed by Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The stage featured a closely packed peloton until the final kilometers, where several crashes occurred, including one involving Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. Tim Wellens claimed the king of the mountains polka dot jersey after winning the only climb of the day, Mont Cassel. The Tour will continue with a challenging stage to Rouen, featuring several hills expected to prompt aggressive racing.