Sprint king Philipsen after a frightening fall out of the tour!

Sprint king Philipsen after a frightening fall out of the tour!

The third stage of the Tour de France, which took place on July 7, 2025 in Dunkirk, was overshadowed by a dramatic fall of the Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen. The former winner of the green jerseys and winners of seven stages in the past two years had to give up the race after a dangerous incident. The fall occurred 60 kilometers before the finish, when Philipsen fell onto the right shoulder at a speed of 61 km/h, triggered by a bumper of the driver Laurenz Rex, who brought Bryan Coquard out of balance. After minutes of treatment on the roadside, his participation in the tour was no longer possible, while his torn jersey was a visible sign of the incident. Philipsen was taken to the hospital, but the extent of his injuries remains unclear how Dolomitenstadt.

The stage was not only shaped by misfortune for Philipsen. In total, three more falls occurred in Dunkirchen, which affected several drivers. In the overall ranking, Mathieu van der Poel, who carries the yellow jersey, remains in the lead, followed by Tadej Pogacar (+4 seconds) and Jonas Vingegaard (+6 seconds). Felix Gall is 49 seconds behind van der Poel on the 20th intermediate rank. The sprint of the stage was won by Tim Merlier, who celebrated his victory after 178 kilometers and won the mass sprint, as the standard reported.

a dangerous stage

The third stage was characterized by numerous falls and reflects a persistent safety problem in cycling. Shocking statistics show that the Tour de France in recent years has often been affected by falls. In this stage alone, five falls were registered, which is in the context of the current security discussion. Cycling has increasingly struggled with the danger of its routes in recent years, in particular with the increase in danger points from 1100 to 2300 within a decade, according to Thierry Gouvenou, the route planner of the tour and reports on Radsport Rennrad.

The participants of the tour have moved the participants to climb from their bikes for a minute to protest against the dangerous racing conditions. This problem has also led to an outcry in the community, with drivers such as Simon Geschke demanding early review of dangerous routes. The UCI has also introduced new security protocols, but the desire for a quieter section of the street remains without time measurement.

The participation of prominent drivers in the tour is not only a sporty, but also an economic matter for cycling as a whole. In the past, the tour has had to accept considerable financial losses if drivers leave due to severe falls. The discussions about security and structural changes in cycling will therefore continue to stop, while the drivers have to look at Rouen in the next stage, which includes a dreaded ramp with gradients of up to 16 percent.