{"id":10214,"date":"2025-07-07T12:30:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T12:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=10214"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:30:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T12:30:05","slug":"tour-de-france-2025-stage-three-from-valenciennes-to-dunkirk-live-tour-de-france-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=10214","title":{"rendered":"Tour de France 2025: stage three from Valenciennes to Dunkirk \u2013 live | Tour de France 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

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143km to go:<\/strong> In an interview with TNT Sports prior to this stage, Mathieu Van der Poel<\/strong> said it was good to be back in his best shape, which he says he\u2019s struggled with in previous Tours, and win yesterday\u2019s stage. On today\u2019s stage, Van der Poel said:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good chance for Jasper [Philipsen] to win and it\u2019s important for points for the green jersey.<\/p>\n

Former professional cyclist, Jens Voigt<\/strong> is out on the back of a motorbike on the route, and he tells TNT Sports that today is \u201cwait, wait, wait\u201d before we see an attack from any of the teams. He says, as the stage is highly likely to end in a bunch sprint, none of the riders will want to waste energy in trying to unsuccesfully establish a breakaway.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a008.27 EDT<\/p>\n

149km to go:<\/strong> The TV coverage just showed a Tour fan on a bike suspended in the air by some sort of farm machinery or crane. Brave.<\/p>\n

Over in the peloton, not much to report at the moment apart from the fact that Mathieu Van der Poel<\/strong> and his Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/strong> teammates have taken positions at the front of the peloton. Could they be hoping for a hat-trick of stage wins? Jasper Philipsen<\/strong> won the first stage and Van der Poel took the second stage, so a third win in as many days would be a real show of dominance for the team.<\/p>\n

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Fans are out along the wet roadside:<\/p>\n

<\/span>A spectator waves a French flag along the roadside as the peloton cycles past during the third stage between Valenciennes and Dunkirk.<\/span> Photograph: Lo\u00efc Venance\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/span>Spectators wave flags and cheer during stage three of the Tour de France 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/Reuters<\/span>The peloton passa decorated wall during stage three from Valenciennes to Dunkirk.<\/span> Photograph: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/span>A dedicated fan in the Tour\u2019s iconic yellow.<\/span> Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson\/EPAShare<\/p>\n

157km to go:<\/strong> Oh, look at that. Max Schachmann<\/strong> (Soudal Quick-Step<\/strong>) and Jonas Rickaert<\/strong> (Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/strong>) quietly opened up a gap of 20secs. But, they\u2019ve been swallowed up by the peloton.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be tricky for any breakaways to form and stick this early, especially given the cross headwinds for the first half of the route. There\u2019ll be headwinds as they start heading north later on too.<\/p>\n

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160km to go:<\/strong> We have movement! Tim Wellens<\/strong> and Nils Politt <\/strong>of UAE Team Emirates<\/strong> accelerate away with grins, but Alpecin-Deceuninck <\/strong>take no chances and swiftly shut it down.<\/p>\n

Over on the Soudal-QuickStep<\/strong> team radio, the riders have been advised not to hold on to the rain jackets for too long in case they overheat.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a008.03 EDT<\/p>\n

163km to go:<\/strong> The bunch are very much chilling (at 34.7 km\/h), chatting away like they\u2019re on a club ride in their rain jackets. Tim Wellens<\/strong> (UAE Team Emirates<\/strong>) <\/strong>stops for a quick mechanical.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The peloton is reflected in a puddle as they cycle shortly after the start of the third stage of the Tour de France 2025.<\/span> Photograph: Marco Bertorello\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n

David<\/strong> has emailed in. He says:<\/p>\n

With it being a flat stage today, and the great chance of crosswinds (so we all get to shout \u201cechelons!\u201d) which might make the peleton very nervous. There\u2019s a cat four near the end but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be enough to create a selection there.<\/p>\n

Feel a bit sorry for Damien T, no way to spend a birthday in the wind and rain!<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard looking imperious, we are in forms treat this year.<\/p>\n

Have a lovely day<\/p>\n

Thanks David. You too!<\/p>\n

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169km to go:<\/strong> Matej Mohori\u010d<\/strong> (Bahrain Victorious<\/strong>) was alone out front for a bit but the peloton has caught up and the riders are together again. Not much is happening at the moment, just the riders rolling along nicely.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a007.45 EDT<\/p>\n

173km to go: Jonas Rickaert<\/strong> (Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/strong>) <\/strong>fancied getting away and has been followed by Matej Mohori\u010d<\/strong> (Bahrain Victorious<\/strong>). They\u2019ve managed a modest 30secs gap so far.<\/p>\n

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The racing has begun!<\/h2>\n

175km to go:<\/strong> The flag has dropped and racing is officially under way on stage three. The start was delayed by six minutes due to a few mechanicals in the neutralised section and riders then getting back to the bunch.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The peloton, with Tadej Poga\u010dar in the polka dot jersey, start stage three in a rainy Valenciennes.<\/span> Photograph: Mosa\u2019ab Elshamy\/APShare<\/p>\n

Updated at\u00a007.39 EDT<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a birthday in the peloton! Joyeux anniversaire Damien Touz\u00e9<\/strong> of Cofidis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On another note, TNT Sports\u2019 viewer prediction poll has Jasper Philipsen<\/strong> (Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/strong>) as the favourite for today\u2019s stage, but the presenters seem to be favouring Tim Merlier<\/strong> (Soudal Quick-Step<\/strong>). Does anyone have any riders tipped for the win outside the top names? Let me know if you do.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a weather report from the Tour\u2019s race centre:<\/p>\n

Right now, it\u2019s raining heavily on the outskirts of Valenciennes. Fortunately, the rain will ease off as the stage progresses \u2026 at the same time as the north wind picks up. It will blow sideways to the peloton until Lilliers (km 108.5). Then, it will be a headwind. Temperatures will range between 15\u00baC and 20\u00baC.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a008.18 EDT<\/p>\n

Today’s rollout has begun<\/h2>\n

Stage three<\/strong> of the Tour de France 2025<\/strong> is under way. The peloton have rolled out from a very rainy Valenciennes<\/strong>. There\u2019s a 6.6km neutralised section<\/strong> before the racing begins.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Movistar\u2019s Enric Mas snaps a selfie with teammates before the start of stage three.<\/span> Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersShare<\/p>\n

Jem<\/strong> has been in touch fom Kenilworth<\/strong>, Warwickshire<\/strong>, and says:<\/p>\n

Anyone else enjoying this year purely for the fact that it is free from the unbearable stress of waiting for Cav to get that 35th win?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t mind who wins the sprints any more and I don\u2019t have to worry about him hauling himself over an Alp within the time limits.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Pogi for me from now on \u2013 but it\u2019s TDF time which is always exciting for me.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a good point Jem. Also, if anyone has been following Mark Cavendish<\/strong>\u2019s posts and videos from the Tour on social media so far, you\u2019ll have seen how the Manx missile is having the time of his life from the sidelines. It\u2019s fascinating to see him discovering the buzz of the Tour from a fan\u2019s perspective. He told Ned Boulting<\/strong> in an interview that the TdF is even bigger than he had realised and joked that he wished he\u2019d retired five years ago.<\/p>\n

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On that note, Rouleur\u2019s Stephen Puddicombe<\/strong> has written about the Paris-Roubaix<\/strong> landscape that today\u2019s stage will \u2013 and won\u2019t \u2013 touch upon:<\/p>\n

This landscape will be recognisable to cycling fans as Paris-Roubaix country \u2013 the Arenberg Forest, one of the most famous sites of that race, is located a mere 10 kilometres away from Valenciennes. Yet the organisers have chosen not to include any of that race\u2019s notorious pav\u00e9 sectors; much to the disappointment of fans who\u2019d have relished the rare and thrilling spectacle of cobblestone racing at a Grand Tour, but to the relief of many GC contenders and their staff, anxiously aware of how one piece of bad luck on such a chaotic stage, be it a crash of puncture, can see their dreams of a high GC finish unravel even this early in the race.<\/p>\n

Instead, he writes, the peloton will cover flat, tarmacked roads to Dunkirk<\/strong> \u2013 the northernmost point of this year\u2019s Tour.<\/p>\n

Talking about Paris-Roubaix, I can highly recommend going to watch on the roadside. It\u2019s absolutely thrilling and has a great atmosphere. Also, it\u2019s worth seeing some of those cobbles up close.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Paris-Roubaix 2025 race winner Mathieu Van Der Poel in the breakaway passing through a cobblestone sector. No such terrain for the peloton today.<\/span> Photograph: Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n

Updated at\u00a006.57 EDT<\/p>\n

A stage three briefing, via Thierry Gouvenou, <\/strong>ex-professional cyclist, <\/strong>director of the race and architect of the Tour de France<\/strong> race route:<\/p>\n

Third stage of the Tour de France, Valenciennes to Dunkirk, [is] certainly the flattest stage, but perhaps not the least tricky.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll pass through places like Orchies, Mons-en-P\u00e9v\u00e8le, and the roads of Paris-Roubaix without the cobblestones. And then quickly, we\u2019ll head towards the Flanders Plain. We\u2019ll have the climb of Cassel, which will be the highest point of the stage. But right after Cassel on the way to Dunkirk, we\u2019re in very flat areas but also very windy and we can expect echelons.<\/p>\n

Everything will depend on the wind, but it will still be a moment of caution for the Tour de France leaders, and for the sprinters it will still be a chance to win another stage.<\/p>\n

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Oh dear, the sun is not shining in Valenciennes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Not to be smug, but the weather looks decidedly better out of my window in London. Where are you all following along from?<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s the profile of stage three<\/strong> of the Tour de France 2025<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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Stage two: Valenciennes to Dunkirk, 178km<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s a look at today\u2019s stage, Monday 7 July: Valenciennes to Dunkirk, 178.3km, with William Fotheringham<\/strong>\u2019s preview:<\/p>\n

A third very accessible day for UK fans, another ascent of Cassel, but the safe money is on a bunch sprint in Dunkirk, famed among cycling fans for the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque stage race which actually lasts six days. The same proviso as day one: a westerly equals crosswinds on the final exposed 35km and splits in the field. These early days will be packed with crashes and tension, but Philipsen and company will be licking their lips.<\/p>\n

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Also, you can look ahead to every stage with this handy guide:<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a006.26 EDT<\/p>\n

Preamble<\/h2>\n

Welcome back to the Guardian\u2019s Tour de France 2025<\/strong> live blog! Join me for coverage of stage three \u2013 the flattest of the entire race this year. The 178.3km<\/strong> route from Valenciennes<\/strong> to Dunkirk<\/strong> features just one category four climb<\/strong> and 800m of elevation gain<\/strong>. The rollout is expected at 1.10pm CEST (12.10pm BST) and the finish should be about 5.18pm CEST (4.18pm BST) \u2013 although often the peloton go faster than the predicted speeds.<\/p>\n

Does that mean it\u2019ll be boring? Hopefully not. I think it\u2019ll be fast and, possibly, furious. The GC contenders will be vying to stay out of trouble, while the sprinters will have their eyes set on a stage win. There\u2019s a prediction of windy conditions too, which could cause a bit of tension in the peloton.<\/p>\n

So, who might ride to victory today? Tim Merlier<\/strong> (Soudal Quick-Step<\/strong>) is a firm favourite with pundits, but it\u2019ll be worth keeping an eye on Ineos Grenadiers<\/strong>\u2019 Sam Watson<\/strong> with him having triumphed at the Four Days of Dunkirk stage race in May. Other sprinters looking to contest a sprint finish? Obviously there\u2019s stage one winner, Jasper Philipsen<\/strong> (Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/strong>), as well as Jonathan Milan<\/strong> (Lidl-Trek<\/strong>), Dylan Groenewegen<\/strong> (Jayco-Alula<\/strong>), Jordi Meeus<\/strong> (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe<\/strong>) and Biniam Girmay<\/strong> (Intermarch\u00e9-Wanty<\/strong>). Although the latter might be feeling sore after a crash on yesterday\u2019s stage. I would love to hear your predictions so please email me your thoughts.<\/p>\n

While we wait for the live TV coverage to kick off, here\u2019s Jeremy Whittle<\/strong>\u2019s stage two race report from Boulogne-sur-Mer<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature 143km to go: In an interview with TNT Sports prior to this stage, Mathieu Van der Poel said it was good to be back in his best shape, which he says he\u2019s struggled with in previous Tours, and win yesterday\u2019s stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[3090,2918,132,232,2143,3089],"class_list":{"0":"post-10214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-dunkirk","9":"tag-france","10":"tag-live","11":"tag-stage","12":"tag-tour","13":"tag-valenciennes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}