Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step delivered a masterclass in sprinting to claim victory on Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France, edging out Jonathan Milan of Lidl–Trek in a dramatic photo finish in Dunkirk. The Belgian sprinter timed his effort perfectly after a chaotic and crash-marred final sprint. Third place went to Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain Victorious, who continued his consistent form in the early stages of this year’s race.
The third stage, a 178.3-kilometer ride from Valenciennes to Dunkirk, was expected to be a day for the sprinters, and it delivered both drama and a high-speed finale. The mostly flat profile featured just one categorized climb—the fourth-category Mont Cassel—about 30 kilometers from the finish. Crosswinds and nervous racing kept the peloton on edge all day, with team directors warning riders to stay near the front. A small breakaway early on was kept on a short leash by the sprinters’ teams, never gaining more than two minutes before being reeled in with 60 kilometers to go.
The race turned turbulent with 38 kilometers remaining during the intermediate sprint in Isbergues. A large crash splintered the peloton and forced several riders to the ground. Most notably, Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin–Deceuninck, the green jersey holder and a favorite for the stage, was involved in a violent tangle with Bryan Coquard. Philipsen hit the tarmac hard and suffered what team officials later confirmed was a broken collarbone and fractured ribs, ruling him out of the Tour entirely. Coquard was able to remount and continue but was visibly shaken.
As the peloton regrouped and settled into the final approach to Dunkirk, UAE Team Emirates sent Tim Wellens ahead on the Mont Cassel climb. He crested first, taking a single KOM point and snatching the polka-dot jersey from teammate Tadej Pogačar in the process. The final hour of racing was fast and increasingly tense, with several crashes disrupting the build-up to the sprint. In the final 3 kilometers, another pile-up saw riders including Remco Evenepoel, Jordi Meeus, and Geraint Thomas caught behind. Evenepoel remounted and crossed the line without major injuries, but the disarray left some teams scrambling to reorganize their lead-outs.
Despite the turmoil, Soudal Quick-Step remained composed. Tim Merlier latched onto the back wheel of Jonathan Milan as the Lidl–Trek rider launched his sprint first. Merlier used Milan’s slipstream before coming around him in the final meters. The two crossed the line almost simultaneously, prompting a tense wait before the official result confirmed Merlier’s win by millimeters. It marked Merlier’s second Tour de France stage victory, the first coming in 2021. Bauhaus managed to avoid the crashes and came in strong behind them to secure third.
After the finish, Merlier described the chaotic finale: “It was a really hard battle. I was in the wind all the time and had to wait. I knew it would be close with Milan—he’s always a very strong rival. I’m happy I could time it just right.” Milan, now the points classification leader after Philipsen’s exit, appeared disappointed but focused: “It’s hard to lose by such a small gap, but it’s still a good day for the team.”
Mathieu van der Poel retained the yellow jersey after finishing safely in the main bunch, with Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard still tightly packed on the general classification leaderboard. Evenepoel, despite his crash, did not lose time due to the incident occurring within the final 3 kilometers, preserving his GC hopes for now.
Stage 3 confirmed the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of Tour de France sprint stages. What began as a relatively straightforward day evolved into one of survival and split-second decision-making. While the loss of Philipsen is a blow to the sprint field, the performances of Merlier, Milan, and Bauhaus suggest the remaining fast men will provide fireworks in the days to come. With the green jersey changing hands and the polka-dot jersey switching shoulders, the race continues to shift heading into Stage 4, where more tactical opportunities—and potentially more wind—await.
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