With a lump in his throat, Bryan Coquard stood before a melee of TV cameras after stage three of the Tour de France and apologised to Jasper Philipsen, having collided mid-stage with the Belgian, who had to abandon the race.
The incident came 60km from the line, in the dash for the day’s only intermediate sprint, and left the green jersey bloodied on the floor. Coquard was able to stay upright, before crashing himself in the final 300m of the stage into Dunkirk.