Sprint Leader Philipsen Out as Merlier Wins Amid Chaos

Tim Merlier took stage three of the Tour de France, after the peloton's top sprinter and points leader, Jasper Philipsen, crashed out of the race 60km from the finish.

- Jeremy Whittle

Merlier's own celebrations were muted because of another crash 3km from the end that took down his Soudal Quick-Step team leader, Remco Evenepoel, although the frustrated Olympic road race champion was able to remount and finish the stage.

A pedestrian day, into a headwind, through the Pas de Calais and Nord that was destined for a sprint finish, had turned controversial when the French rider Bryan Coquard caused the crash that forced Philipsen, the Belgian stage one winner, to abandon.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had been contesting the intermediate sprint at Isbergues when Coquard moved to the right and touched shoulders with another rider, before swerving across into the Belgian's path, causing him to crash.

"I'm not a bad guy," a distressed Coquard said at the finish. "I apologise to Alpecin, even if I didn't mean to do anything. I almost lost my shoe and there was nothing I could do."