Instead, it was his Classics rival Pogacar who distanced him, with team UAE Emirates-XRG setting an infernal pace up the final slope to whittle the field down to a select group of climbers, including Remco Evenepoel, local boy Kevin Vauquelin, and Briton Oscar Onley, who ultimately finished third.

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 ...