Sprinter Jasper Philipsen, of Alpecin-Deceuninck, crashed out of the Tour de France Monday just two days after taking the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
The Belgian powerhouse slammed to the ground in the intermediate sprint with just under 37 miles remaining in stage three. Green jersey in tatters and back covered in angry red road burns, he struggled to stand and could be seen gingerly bending his right arm.
He was taken away on a stretcher and wearing a neck brace.
Soudal–Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier eked out a photo finish against Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan of Lidl–Trek to win the stage.
According to a social media post by Alpecin-Deceuninck, a preliminary hospital diagnosis revealed a fractured collarbone and at least one broken rib. He will likely require surgery, the team said.
In an Instagram post shared after the race, Tour de France favorite Tadej Pogačar said he started the day happy but ended “super sad” to see Philipsen go down so hard.
“You will come back in no time,” Pogačar said.
Philipsen’s crash came on the heels of a near perfect start for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Philipsen took first place on opening day, winning both the yellow jersey and the stage. It was a dream come true for the sprinter, who had previously warned that stage one could be among the most dangerous racing days in this year’s tour.
“Beyond proud to make this dream a reality,” he posted on social media Saturday afternoon. “The team did an amazing job today, and taking the stage win while bringing the yellow home is the best feeling there is.”
While Philipsen celebrated, crashes on day one forced two riders to abandon midrace.
Italian time trial champion Filippo Ganna of Ineos Grenadiers was the first to crash out. The 6-foot-4 Olympic gold medalist initially got back on his bike after falling heavily on a right-hand curve, but appeared to be visibly struggling and soon developed concussion symptoms, his team said.
Shortly after Ganna’s incident, Stefan Bissegger of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale also crashed and abandoned with concussion symptoms.
Philipsen, with a strong lead out from teammate Mathieu van der Poel, blasted to victory in the last 100 meters and took first for his 10th Tour stage win.
On Sunday, it was Dutchman Van der Poel’s turn to wear the yellow jersey after beating out defending champion Pogačar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard in a sprint to the finish line.
He was still in the yellow on Monday when Phillipsen hit the ground. Speaking to reporters are stage three, Van der Poel said he was sad to see his friend abandon under such painful circumstances.
“We had a pretty nice goal in winning the green jersey with him again,” he said referring to the jersey awarded to the top sprinter. “It’s not a happy day today.”
With Philipsen out, Australian cyclist Kaden Groves, who is riding his Tour debut, will likely step in as team leader, Van der Poel said.
