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Tour de France: Stage 3 paused after massive crash takes out 20 cyclists

At least 20 riders were involved in a massive crash during the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday, including yellow jersey holder Fabian Cancellara.

With less than 60 kilometers remaining in the stage, Frenchman William Bonnet was the first to fall down, catching the rear wheel of the rider directly in front of him. After Bonnet went down, his accident set off a chain reaction that quickly devolved into a chaotic situation involving flying bikes, trampled bodies and fairly graphic injuries, ranging from simple scrapes to full-fledged gashes. Cancellara was actually thrown over his handlebars onto the grass next to the road, where he sat up in a dazed state. Ultimately, four riders, including Bonnet, withdrew from the stage.

A doctor tends to William Bonnet of France after he crashed Monday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A doctor tends to William Bonnet of France after he crashed Monday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The crash was so bad that the race was neutralized for about 10 minutes to allow the riders involved to rejoin the peloton.

Welshman Geraint Thomas was interviewed after the race, where he agreed with the decision to pause the race while ambulances were tending to the crash victims. However, he said the riders weren’t told the reason for the stoppage until after the race. “It would have been good to have actually been told that because there’s a lot of stressed, angry bike riders,” said Thomas. “We were all fighting for position and we were at the front.”

The rest of the race was tame by comparison as Joaquim Rodriguez used a nice sprint to win the stage while Chris Froome secured the yellow jersey with a second-place finish. Rodriguez also won the first polka-dot jersey of the race to signify him as the king of the mountains.

Tuesday’s fourth stage is a highly anticipated race. It’ll mark the first time that this year’s Tour, which began in The Netherlands and continued south through Belgium, crosses over into France. At 223.5 km, it is also the longest stage of the Tour. And if the distance isn’t enough to worry the riders, the six sections of cobblestones — which can wreck havoc on bikes — surely will.