D UNKERQUE, France — Belgian rider Tim Merlier won the third stage of the Tour de France in a photo finish and Mathieu Van der Poel kept the yellow jersey on Monday. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard — the main contenders — finished safely as they rolled in together with the main pack.

A three-week Grand Tour will always contain natural ebbs and flows, and, for much of Monday’s stage between Valenciennes and Dunkirk, it looked as if the peloton had declared an unofficial rest day, with the riders happy to cruise back towards the coast after a weekend of wind, rain and intensity.

Tim Merlier pipped Jonathan Milan to victory on a crash-strewn stage three of the Tour de France that saw Saturday's stage winner Jasper Philipsen forced to abandon in the green jersey.