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Crashes continue to harm Tour de France peloton on Stage 3

Roglič, Pogačar and Thomas lose time due to wrecks

Photo by: Sirotti
June 28, 2021
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Unfortunately for Tim Merlier, his first career Tour de France stage victory on Monday–and Alpecin-Fenix’s second in row–will be overshadowed by another day of very consequential crashes, with Stage 3 matching Stage 1 for pure carnage. Four crashes, three in the final 10 km, saw Caleb Ewan, Robert Gesink and 10th place Jack Haig unable to continue and three of the favourites–Primoz Roglič, Tadej Pogačar and Geraint Thomas–lose between 26 seconds and 1:21 to Julian Alaphilippe, Richard Carapaz and race leader Mathieu van der Poel.

Once again, satirical news source The Onion hit the nail on the head.

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The Course

There were two Cat. 4 climbs in Monday’s 183 km route, but it wasn’t anywhere near the lumpiness of the opening weekend. A tricky downhill section led to the sprint finish in Pontivy. Rain tipped down intermittently.

Serial fugitive Ide Schelling (The Netherlands/Bora-Hansgrohe) initiated the day’s breakaway, as he was anxious to take back the mountains classification lead in fact, not just keep the polka dot jersey warm for Mathieu van der Poel. He bounced away with four others.

Early in the stage, 2018 Tour champion Geraint Thomas caused a crash near the front of the peloton that forced Robert Gesink of Jumbo-Visma, and put Thomas on the ground. Thomas had to chase back on with a couple of teammates, but he looked tenderized by his sudden deceleration.

Three teams with strong sprinters drove the peloton: Lotto-Soudal looking after Ewan’s interests, Groupama-FDJ setting things up for Arnaud Démare, and Alpecin-Fenix taking care of Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen.

Schelling took the KOM point at the top of the Côte de Cadoudal. He winked at the camera, safe in the knowledge that the polka dots were legitimately his once more. Job done, Schelling went back to the peloton.

Job done for Ide Schelling.

With four escapees still up the road, there were green jersey points to vie for in La Fourchette. The green jersey, Alaphilippe, was uninterested, so several riders crept closer to his maillot vert.

The fugitives reeled in, the peloton prepared for the tricky finish, and around 10 km from the line, Roglič was seemingly bumped by Sonny Colbrelli into a meeting with the ground. Despite the efforts of his teammates, the Slovenian couldn’t return to the peloton.

Pogačar was involved in the crash that took Haig out of the Tour de France and held up the majority of the peloton.

Even the sprint, contested between only 19 riders, was the site of another crash, this one involving Peter Sagan and the unfortunate Ewan, who came together and biffed in the final curve. Ewan wouldn’t cross the finish line, instead he left the race in an ambulance.

Van der Poel led out Merlier, who finished just ahead of Philipsen.

Guillaume Boivin crossed the line in a group just 14 seconds back of the pack of 19 left after the Pogačar/Haig crash.

Roglič plummeted from fourth to 20th and Pogačar dropped to sixth from third.

Tuesday’s stage is another sprint stage, this time with no categorized climbs, so Schelling will take a day off.

2021 Tour de France Stage 3
1) Tim Merlier (Belgium/Alpecin-Fenix) 4:01:28
2) Jasper Philipsen (Belgium/Alpecin-Fenix) s.t.
3) Nacer Bouhanni (France/Arkea-Samsic) s.t.
23) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel Start-up Nation) +0:14
125) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel Start-up Nation) +2:11
138) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana-Premier Tech) +2:39

2021 Tour de France GC
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Fenix) 12:58:53
2) Julian Alaphilippe (France/Deceuninck-Quick Step) +0:08
3) Richard Carapaz (Ecuador/Ineos Grenadiers) +0:31
54) Guillaume Boivin (Canada/Israel Start-up Nation) +6:04
89) Hugo Houle (Canada/Astana-Premier Tech) +11:03
91) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel Start-up Nation) +11:18