It was one of those days on the Tour de France where a group more or less filled with riders generally from teams with no overall ambition sets off for a crash knowing full well that they will be caught before the end in order to leave room for sprinters. With its interminable profile (230 km, the longest stage of the 2024 edition), barely enhanced by three fourth category chops, including one dedicated to the memory of Fausto Coppi, this third stage promised to be a welcome transition between two humpback nests and the Galibier from Tuesday.
It was one of those days when, usually, the general classification does not move one iota, and especially not the identity of the wearer of the Yellow Jersey, because apart from the bonuses granted to the first three (but none during the stage), there is no time to gain, and if possible to lose, by avoiding falls and other echelon hits.
Well that was all false. Well almost everything, since there was still a massive sprint in Turin. In the absence of Olav Kooj and Jonathan Milan, who raised their arms during the Giro, Jasper Philippsen was the big favorite. But the four-time stage winner on the Tour last year could not even play for victory. While he was already weakened by the loss of Mathieu Van der Poel, who was supposed to help him place but suffered a puncture six kilometers from the finish, the Belgian was caught in a fall in the last mile.
