Deceuninck, crashed out of the Tour de France Monday just two days after taking the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.

Deceuninck had to withdraw from the Tour after a heavy crash in the third stage. In the run-up to the intermediate sprint, Philipsen crashed and was inspected at the side of the road with serious injuries.

A three-week Grand Tour will always contain natural ebbs and flows, and, for much of Monday’s stage between Valenciennes and Dunkirk, it looked as if the peloton had declared an unofficial rest day, with the riders happy to cruise back towards the coast after a weekend of wind, rain and intensity.