A stage proceeding at a relatively calm pace suddenly comes alive in the worst possible way at the flying finish in Isbergues, about sixty kilometers from the Dunkirk finish line.

When the sprint for the flying finish began - a difficult sprint due to headwinds - Coquard swerved to the right because of a movement by the Belgian Rex, the Frenchman touched the rider next to him, almost bounced to the left, and crashed into Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian in the green jersey heavily fell to the ground, hitting his right shoulder and sliding on the asphalt. Immediately, teammates and technicians understood the severity: some continued without waiting for their teammate, while others assisted the rider. The race medical staff immediately immobilized his arm, suggesting a collarbone fracture. Unfortunately, this prediction was confirmed by the hospital tests the Belgian team received: a displaced collarbone fracture and one or two broken ribs. Surgery will be necessary and will be performed in the next few hours at the Herentals hospital.

In an instant, fortune had definitely turned its back on Alpecin Deceuninck, which after winning the first two stages, lost one of its key riders.