TOUR DE FRANCE 2025 – STAGE 3: VALENCIENNES - DUNKERQUE

2 - 1470: MERLIER FOLLOWING VAN DER POEL

The day after Mathieu Van der Poel's 2nd Tour victory, 1,470 days after his first one, Tim Merlier achieved exactly the same performance! The Belgian won the 3rd stage of the Tour 2021 in Pontivy. At the time, he was the teammate of Van der Poel and Philipsen. Merlier is now competing in his second Tour, but for Soudal Quick-Step.

13: SOUDAL QUICK-STEP UNSTOPPABLE

This is the 13th consecutive edition that the Soudal Quick-Step team (and its various names) won at least one stage, since 2013. The last time was Remco Evenepoel's victory in the time trial between Gevrey and Chambertin, last year. This is the team's 53rd Tour de France victory.

2/3: BELGIUM LIKE IN 2005

Belgium won two of the first three stages thanks to Jasper Philipsen (stage 1) and Tim Merlier (stage 3). This hadn't happened since 2005, 20 years ago, when Tom Boonen won stages 2 and 3.

8: VAN DER POEL EQUALS KNETEMANN

Mathieu van der Poel retains his Yellow Jersey. This is his 8th Yellow Jersey, the same number as his compatriot Gerrie Knetemann. It makes him the third-highest-ranked Dutchman in this ranking, behind Joop Zoetemelk (22 times) and Wout Wagtmans (12 times).

1: MILAN, HAPPINESS IN GREEN

Jonathan Milan took the green jersey for the first time in his career. It's also the first time he finished in the top three of a Tour stage (2nd today). At 24 years, 9 months and 6 days, Milan is the youngest Italian rider to lead the points classification since Francesco Moser in 1975 (24 years and 8 days).

16: WELLENS BACK WITH THE POLKA DOT JERSEY

Tim Wellens took the polka dot jersey on stage 3 in 2019, before losing it on stage 18. First rider in the Côte de Cassel, he took the jersey for the 16th time. One more day, and he'll enter the top 10 riders who have worn the jersey the most times, alongside Peter de Clercq, Laurent Jalabert, and Chris Froome (17 times).

8: PHILIPSEN OUT OF THE RACE

Having crashed during the intermediate sprint in Isbergues, Jasper Philipsen is the 8th green jersey to retire from the race while leading the points classification. The previous seven were Cyrille Guimard (1972), Jan Raas (1980), Mario Cipollini (1993), Jaan Kirsipuu (1999), Alessandro Petacchi (2003), Tom Boonen (2005), and Marcel Kittel (2017).

5: BAUHAUS STILL CLOSE

This is the 5th time Phil Bauhaus has finished on the podium in a Tour de France stage, but the German has yet to win! He has finished second two times (Bayonne 2023, Nimes 2024), and third three times (Nogaro 2023, Moulins 2023, Dunkerque 2025). The record for podium finishes without a Tour victory? 10, for Jan Mertens, Gilbert Desmet, and Andreas Kloden.

108: THE LONG ITALIAN WAIT

It has been 108 stages and 2,171 days since Italy last won the Tour – its last victory was on stage 20 of the 2019 edition, won by Vincenzo Nibali. This is the longest current wait for a country that has already won here. Second in Dunkerque, Jonathan Milan aims to end this drought this year.

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Merlier seizes his opportunity

The stage film July 7 th 2025 - 18:06

Tour de France 2025 | Stage 3 | Valenciennes > Dunkerque

Out of the equation in the first sprint of the Tour de France 2025, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) took the revenge the was aiming for as he powered to victory in Dunkirk, on day 3. The Belgian sprinter managed to edge Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) right on the line, after a fast and tight sprint. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) completes the podium of the day after Jasper Philipsen was forced to retire after a high speed crash in the intermediate sprint. His teammate Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) survived the day to retain the Maillot Jaune. This is Merlier’s second win in the Tour. Back in 2021, he had already won stage 3 on the day after MVDP took his first stage win. At the time, they were teammates.

All 182 riders who finished the stage in Boulogne-sur-Mer are present at the start in Valenciennes. The day's route discourages the usual breakaway contenders.

Alpecin-Deceuninck in control

Without much conviction, Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck) moves to the front, accompanied by Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), but they end their breakaway themselves after less than 10 kilometres in the lead. Nils Politt and Tim Wellens (UAE Emirates XRG) also spent a few kilometres at the front in an equally unconvincing breakaway, which ended in the same way at km 21.

From then on, Mathieu Van der Poel's teammates took the lead of the peloton and maintained a modest pace, with the support of Max Schachmann (Soudal-Quick Step).

Philipsen on the ground

Van der Poel gets to enjoy his day as the race travels through places associated with Paris-Roubaix - Orchies, Templeuve, Mons-en-Pévèle - and with his father, Adrie Van der Poel, who took the Maillot Jaune in Béthune (km 95.3) in 1984.

The intensity picks up at the exit of Béthune, as the peloton reach wind-exposed sections and get close to the intermediate sprint in Isbergues (km 95.3). As Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) steps on his pedals to defend his green jersey, a contact with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) sends him to the ground at high speed. The Belgian star, winner of stage 1, is forced to retire.

Merlier edges Milan

Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) attacks ahead of Mont Cassel (summit at km 147.4) to chase the KOM point that would earn him the polka-dot jersey. Over the top, the gap to the bunch is up to 1’45’’. The Belgian national champion is then caught with 27-km to go.

As the peloton reach Dunkirk, a fierce battle for the position unleashes against the headwind. Lidl-Trek take the reins for Jonathan Milan into the last kilometre. But Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) displays his pure speed to edge the Italian powerhouse and claim his second Tour win, four years after his maiden triumph in Pontivy.

It was already stage 3, and it was on the day after Mathieu Van der Poel won stage 2 in Mûr-de-Bretagne. Merlier had also already won in Dunkirk, at the end of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque 2023.

Stage 3