Belgian rider Tim Merlier has won the third stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish and Mathieu Van der Poel has kept the yellow jersey.

Tim Merlier narrowly beat Italian Jonathan Milan to win stage three of the Tour de France in Dunkirk, while Mathieu van der Poel retained the overall lead. The stage was plagued by several crashes, including one that forced Jasper Philipsen to abandon with injuries,

The Visma-Lease a Bike team of Jonas Vingegaard were the protagonists, with several contenders for the overall classification — including Remco Evenepoel — distanced as the echelons formed. That main part of the peloton, which also contained Primoz Roglic and Geraint Thomas, ended up losing 49 seconds to the stage winner.