Jasper Philipsen’s Tour de France came to a brutal end on stage 3 after a high-speed crash during the intermediate sprint forced him to abandon with a suspected shoulder injury. The Belgian, who started the day in the green jersey, had been one of the main contenders for the points classification and was fresh off a stage 1 win and a brief spell in yellow.
The crash occurred with around 60 kilometres remaining. As riders surged for intermediate sprint points, Bryan Coquard and Laurenz Rex shifted across the road in front of Philipsen. Travelling at nearly 60km/h, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had no room to avoid contact and went down hard on his right side.
Philipsen was slow to get up, with visible damage to his skinsuit and clear signs of pain. He received treatment from race medics at the roadside and was seen with his right arm in a sling. It was quickly confirmed that his Tour was over.
His abandonment is a major blow to both Philipsen and Alpecin-Deceuninck, who had enjoyed a dream start to the race. Philipsen won stage 1 in a sprint and wore the yellow jersey for a day, before Mathieu van der Poel attacked to win stage 2 and took over the overall lead.
With Philipsen out of the race, attention may now turn to van der Poel as a potential green jersey candidate. The Dutchman has previously stated his focus is on stage wins and supporting the team, but with one fewer sprinter to contend with and a fast start already behind him, the points classification could become a viable objective. His ability to score on punchy stages and survive hillier terrain makes him a unique threat in the race for green, especially if Alpecin-Deceuninck shift their strategy around his strengths.
