Tour de France History: Riders Who Quit While Leading the Green Jersey
Yesterday, Jasper Philipsen tragically crashed out of Stage 3 at the 2025 Tour de France while wearing the green jersey. It’s always tough to watch one of the sport’s biggest stars brought down like this, especially when he’s been leading the charge as the peloton’s top sprinter. Philipsen has become a fan favourite for a reason, and cycling feels incomplete without him contesting those furious finishes. Here’s hoping for a swift and full recovery so we can see him back where he belongs — at the front of the pack.
Moments like this are rare, heartbreaking, and always dramatic. And it’s not the first time a green jersey contender has been forced out of the Tour. Let’s rewind through cycling history and revisit some of the most unforgettable cases when sprinters in green had to abandon early, leaving the points race wide open.
Mario Cipollini (1993): The Fastest Man Walks Away
The flamboyant Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini was untouchable in the first week of the 1993 Tour. Dominating the sprints, he built a commanding lead in the green jersey classification. But after a brutal crash in stage 12, Cipollini suffered a fractured collarbone and had to abandon the race — still leading the points competition.
Cipollini famously said, “The green jersey isn’t worth a hospital bed,” after his exit.
Tom Steels (1998): Illness Ends a Green Charge
Belgian sprinter Tom Steels had a string of stage victories and was in green on stage 16 in 1998, but a sudden stomach virus derailed his Tour. Too weak to continue, Steels abandoned in the Pyrenees, leaving the sprinters’ contest in chaos.
Mark Cavendish (2017): Elbowed Out of Contention
While not officially leading the green jersey at the time, Mark Cavendish’s 2017 Tour exit became one of the most controversial abandonments. After a collision with Peter Sagan during a high-speed sprint finish in Vittel, Cavendish crashed heavily, suffering a fractured shoulder blade.
Sagan was disqualified for the incident — one of the most high-profile expulsions in Tour history.
Jasper Philipsen (2025): Crash and Broken Bones in Dunkirk
Fast forward to July 7, 2025. Jasper Philipsen, the defending points champion, had already claimed stage 1 and was wearing the green jersey when disaster struck during the intermediate sprint in stage 3. Clashing with Bryan Coquard and Laurenz Rex at nearly 60 km/h, Philipsen went down hard, sustaining a displaced collarbone fracture and two broken ribs.
His abandonment left a vacuum in the green jersey competition, reopening the fight for sprinters like Biniam Girmay, Jonathan Milan, and teammate Mathieu van der Poel.
📊 A Rare Club: Riders to Leave the Tour While in Green
| Year | Rider | Reason | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Mario Cipollini | Crash (collarbone) | 12 |
| 1998 | Tom Steels | Illness | 16 |
| 2025 | Jasper Philipsen | Crash (collarbone + ribs) | 3 |
The Green Jersey is Gruelling
The points classification, or maillot vert, rewards consistency, speed, and resilience — but sprinters have to survive mountains, crashes, and illness. These abandonments remind fans that while the sprinter’s life may seem glamorous, it’s often brutal and unforgiving.
As the 2025 Tour continues, fans and pundits will be watching closely to see who claims green in Philipsen’s absence.
