Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step powered to his third stage win of the 2026 Tour de France on Thursday, prevailing in a bunch sprint into Chalon-sur-Saône that was immediately overshadowed by a violent mass crash. The Belgian edged Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen in the final metres, but behind him, Colombian sprinter Fernando Gaviria lay on the tarmac after a collision that Colombian media reported likely ended his race with a suspected fractured clavicle. Gaviria crossed the line with the aid of a teammate, his leg bleeding, as race leader Tadej Pogačar expressed hope for his former colleague’s recovery.

The 179-kilometre stage from the Magny-Cours motor racing circuit had followed a familiar flatland script. A four-man breakaway featuring Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer, who earned the day’s combativity prize, was reeled in with six kilometres to go, setting up a frenetic sprint. At roughly 350 metres, as the peloton touched speeds near 70 km/h, Vlad Van Mechelen of Bahrain Victorious shifted his line, and Gaviria, launching his own effort, struck the Belgian’s rear wheel and went down hard. Race commissaires later relegated Van Mechelen from 17th to 144th on the stage. German sprinter Pascal Ackermann, who narrowly avoided the carnage, told reporters he was “still shaking” from the proximity of the crash.

Pogačar retained the yellow jersey without incident, his overall lead of 3 minutes 36 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard intact. Mexico’s Isaac del Toro, riding in support of the Slovenian, finished safely in 59th place and held seventh overall, 5 minutes 8 seconds back, while remaining third in the young rider classification. German GC hope Florian Lipowitz stayed sixth, 38 seconds off the podium, and lightened the mood by joking about his errant toss of a bidon toward a roadside target: “That’s why I quit biathlon.” Colombian outlets quoted Caja Rural’s general manager describing the mood as one of “desolation,” noting that the team had believed Gaviria was on the cusp of a stage win after a long period of recovery.

The crash reshapes the sprinter landscape, with Gaviria almost certain to abandon, but the general classification remains untouched ahead of a decisive shift in terrain. Friday’s 205.8-kilometre Stage 13 from Dole to Belfort, the longest of the race, introduces the medium mountains and the ascent of the Ballon d’Alsace, offering the first serious test for the overall contenders before the high Alps loom on the weekend.