Jasper Philipsen's Tour de France Abruptly Ends After Crash

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen has withdrawn from the Tour de France following a devastating crash during the third stage of the race on Monday. This unfortunate event occurred just two days after securing a victory in the opening stage.

Philipsen suffered a displaced fracture of the right collarbone, along with at least one broken rib, necessitating immediate surgery, according to a statement from his team, Alpecin-Deceuninck. The crash took place roughly 60 km from the finish line when Philipsen made contact with French rider Bryan Coquard during an intermediate sprint.

The collision, which resulted in Philipsen's jersey being severely torn and him scraping the road, was one of several accidents that day. Philipsen was the most notable casualty, but a crash near the finish line also involved Remco Evenepoel and others. Despite the chaos, Belgium's Tim Merlier emerged victorious in the stage's sprint finish.

(With inputs from agencies.)