Tour de France Tour de France 2025, Stage 3: Valenciennes – Dunkerque (173.8k)

[Red Rick]

Isn't there chances of echelons the first 100km's? Question is if they want to keep going that hard for another 80km's to the finish.

There's some very small bits that go south/southwest but they're very short and I don't know how exposed they are and if wind is even enough in the first place.

Best guess is it's just some arbitrary nervousness and nobody really doing anything, or maybe some attempts to split things that go nowhere.

I would be very surprised if echelons happen today based on the route direction and the wind direction.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

They're not descending on cobbles are they? That sounds unnecessarily risky.

No, the final few hundred metres of the KOM are the same as on Saturday. So if Thomas and Vercher really want to, they can reenact their crash.

 

[Cycling111]

Isn't there chances of echelons the first 100km's? Question is if they want to keep going that hard for another 80km's to the finish.

According to what I've read, no. The wind will be mostly frontal, so there will be very few opportunities to echelons.

Stage to see the last 2 km

 

[Cycling111]

No, the final few hundred metres of the KOM are the same as on Saturday. So if Thomas and Vercher really want to, they can reenact their crash.

Without echelons, it will be the only highlight of the stage, and obviously the final sprint. And I think Pogacar will be delighted to give away his mountain jersey today. He'll want to win his 100th stage in rainbow.

This stage, without echelons, has everything it takes to be the most boring of the Tour.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Finish seems unnecessarily dangerous. Some road furniture in the last 2km. Getting fed up of having to watch these potential sprint crash derbies in races.

Hoping for a Belgian horse win

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Without echelons, it will be the only highlight of the stage, and obviously the final sprint. And I think Pogacar will be delighted to give away his mountain jersey today. He'll want to win his 100th stage in rainbow.

This stage, without echelons, has everything it takes to be the most boring of the Tour.

He can't give away the jersey to anyone but Wellens. Nobody else is at 3 points and with no climbs of higher category, the tiebreaker is most cat. 3s won, and then most cat. 4s won in case of a tie. So while UAE would probably do that if given the opportunity, there is no guarantee the break is caught that early.

 

[Cycling111]

He can't give away the jersey to anyone but Wellens. Nobody else is at 3 points and with no climbs of higher category, the tiebreaker is most cat. 3s won, and then most cat. 4s won in case of a tie. So while UAE would probably do that if given the opportunity, there is no guarantee the break is caught that early.

In any case, I don't see Pogacar winning until Hautacam, so he has a few stages to give away points.

 

[Rob5091]

"A fresh breeze from the north" the BBC writes of the weather today so the big question is who, if anyone, will go in the break? 2,000 Euros for the combativity award, so some easy money if it's only one guy.

 

[Rackham]

"A fresh breeze from the north" the BBC writes of the weather today so the big question is who, if anyone, will go in the break? 2,000 Euros for the combativity award, so some easy money if it's only one guy.

This is why I love cycling. It's so poor and eternally relatable compared to other filthy rich sports.

I mean if someone in the peloton wants to treat himself to a PS5 Pro, now's the time to stand up and earn that combativity prize money.

 

[Lequack]

Pogacar would never!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942108208107241781

View: https://x.com/KarelVanhecke/status/1942108208107241781

 

[Berniece]

According to what I've read, no. The wind will be mostly frontal, so there will be very few opportunities to echelons.

Stage to see the last 2 km

Look at the opening post, you can see the map. If the wind comes from the north and the first 100km’s you ride to the west, you have cross winds.

There's some very small bits that go south/southwest but they're very short and I don't know how exposed they are and if wind is even enough in the first place.

Best guess is it's just some arbitrary nervousness and nobody really doing anything, or maybe some attempts to split things that go nowhere.

I would be very surprised if echelons happen today based on the route direction and the wind direction.

You are letting yourself fall asleep!

 

[Berniece]

Pogacar would never!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1942108208107241781

View: https://x.com/KarelVanhecke/status/1942108208107241781

Are they still on about that? Thought it was already closed off that same day.

Remco Evenepoel deelt beelden dat hij na opfrisbeurt wél tijd maakt voor jonge fans: "Verspreid liefde, geen haat" | sporza

Zijn frustratie enkele seconden na de finish samengevat in één beeld. Remco Evenepoel weigerde een jonge fan - die wat verdwaald aan de ploegbus stond - een handtekening te geven. Een filmpje dat snel de ronde deed, maar eentje dat de Belg ook snel counterde. Met eigen materiaal toonde Evenepoel...

sporza-be.translate.goog

 

[moljoh]

They say it's the wife, but you can clearly see who's the actual boss in this family, she just can't talk properly yet

 

[Rackham]

They say it's the wife, but you can clearly see who's the actual boss in this family, she just can't talk properly yet

This stuff always makes me shrug. It's the Tour de France. The entire point is proportionally speaking it's the biggest cycling event of the year. That's why news stories that break during the Tour... are also proportionally bigger.

That's just how it works. But Visma knows this. As does Vingegaard's wiffe/manager.

 

[Jagartrott]

I'm a bit nervous regarding crashes here. There will be almost a straight headwind in the finale until about 2 km to go, which could create a lot of 'washing machine' movement in the peloton, especially on such a straight road. From about 1.5 km, the wind will be diagonal from the front, so lots of incentive to try and find space along the barriers when there isn't any. To top it off, the finish can only be seen in the last 100-150 m. This could get nasty.

 

[Didinho]

I'm a bit nervous regarding crashes here. There will be almost a straight headwind in the finale until about 2 km to go, which could create a lot of 'washing machine' movement in the peloton, especially on such a straight road. From about 1.5 km, the wind will be diagonal from the front, so lots of incentive to try and find space along the barriers when there isn't any. To top it off, the finish can only be seen in the last 100-150 m. This could get nasty.

Just saw a video on Sporza of the last 2km and wanted to post the same thing as you. Little bend in the end at high speed, hard to stay in your lane and some riders could be relegated. Just hope everyone stays on the bike. But the corners before should get the peloton on a smaller line, espacially if Trek or Alpecin gets the train going.

 

[RedheadDane]

Lund and Skjelmose being interviewed before the start.
Picnic will ride for Bittner (Trek obviously for Milan), Lund liked the idea of Skjelmose being leadout for Milan, because then he felt pretty confident that Bittner would at least be better than Milan.
(Skjelmose is planning on being at the back of the peloton.)

 

[Tim Cahill]

Arbitrary nervousness is the most dangerous type.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Good morning, chaps!

 

[moljoh]

Good morning, chaps!

 

[RobertCrawley]

Mathieu van der Poel is no pancake, but the parcours is today.

 

[RobertCrawley]

There's a jester quality to that KOM kit.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Good morning, chaps!

Good morning, R.C.!

We're off to Dunkerque today in what looks like another rainy day, hopefully no crashes! Or at least ones that are fairly innocuous and no one gets hurt.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Good morning, R.C.!

We're off to Dunkerque today in what looks like another rainy day, hopefully no crashes! Or at least ones that are fairly innocuous and no one gets hurt.

Let's hope all are safe!

 

[CyclistAbi]

Somebody should say good morning to Pogi, he is still in his pyjamas.