A major crash during the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday halted the race for nearly 20 minutes and forced some riders to withdraw from the biggest race in cycling. 

The crash happened with just under 60 kilometers (37 miles) remaining in the 159.5-kilometer stage from Antwerp, Belgium to Huy, Beligum, according to ESPN. It occured when Frenchman William Bonnet went down and several riders tumbled around him.

While all of the top Tour contenders avoided the crash, Swiss native Fabian Cancellara -- who was the yellow-jersey leader heading into the stage -- and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin were among 20 riders involved in the crash.

Cancellara was able to continue despite feeling "groggy," according to Alain Gallopin, who is a sports director for Cancellara's Trek Factory Racing team. However, he lost time and the leader's jersey.

British rider Chris Froome -- who won the 2013 Tour de France -- took over the Tour lead after finishing second in Monday's stage. He leads German rider Tony Martin by just one second and is 13 seconds ahead of American rider Tejay Van Garderen.

While Cancellara was able to continue, a few riders had to abandon the race. They were Bonnet, Dumoulin and Australian Simon Gerrans, according to ESPN and Cycling Weekly.