Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) won the bunch sprint to win stage three in Dunkerque by a whisker, after a day that saw multiple notable crashes including one that took green jersey Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) out of the race.
Philipsen, the winner of stage one and the first yellow jersey of the race, crashed heavily in the intermediate sprint at Isbergues, landing on his shoulder.
