| Stage | Date | Start > Finish | Type | Distance (km) | Distance (mi) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mon 07/07 | Valenciennes > Dunkerque | Flat | 178.3 | 110.8 | Tim Merlier (SOQ) |
Tour de France 2025 Stage 3: Merlier Triumphs in Chaotic Sprint Finish
Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France, a 178.3 km flat run from Valenciennes to Dunkerque, delivered high drama as Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) claimed victory in a thrilling, crash-marred sprint on July 7, 2025. Merlier narrowly outpaced Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) in a photo finish, with Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) rounding out the podium. The stage, designed for sprinters, turned chaotic in the final 3 km with multiple crashes, most notably forcing green jersey holder Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to abandon after a severe incident post-intermediate sprint.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) retained the yellow jersey, while Milan inherited the green sprint points jersey. Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) claimed the polka dot jersey after winning the sole climb at Mont Cassel, and Kevin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) held the white jersey for best young rider. Major GC contenders, including Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, finished safely in the peloton, conserving energy for tougher stages ahead. The stage underscored the unpredictability of sprint finishes, with Merlier’s composure securing his second career Tour stage win amidst the chaos.
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Mathieu van der Poel wore the yellow jersey during Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France because he was the overall race leader in the general classification (GC), despite Tim Merlier winning Stage 3. The yellow jersey is awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages, not necessarily the winner of the most recent stage.