Jasper Philipsen capitalized on a perfect lead-out from his Alpecin-Deceuninck team to show a clean set of wheels to everyone as he rocketed to a third stage win at the 2024 Tour de France. Philipsen’s team was well organized into the final two kilometers, and with world champion Mathieu van der Poel leading out of the final corner, Philipsen was able to fire off the wheel cleanly. A brief bump between Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Uno-X Mobility’s Alexander Kristoff prevented either challenger from getting a run at Philipsen and he crossed comfortably ahead.
A late crash in the jostle for position a little less than 2 km to go brought down green jersey wearer Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty). The Eritrean triple-stage winner remounted and rode to the line, but the violence of the crash was apparent on his bike, which was missing both brake lever blades. He pedaled slowly to the finish assisted by teammates; post-stage x-rays showed no fractures and he plans to start stage 17. Due to the crash, all riders in the peloton received the same time, and there were no changes to the overall classification.
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How it happened
- It was another paradoxically fast but quiet day at the Tour. At the start of the race only two riders, including Groupama-FDJ’s Stefan Küng, attempted breakaways and were quickly recaught. The race then stayed entirely together through the intermediate sprint, after which only TotalEnergies’ Thomas Gachignard took the incentive. His solo move was comfortably re-caught with 25 km to go.
- The average speed at the finish, however, belied what looked easy on TV, with the pack covering the 188.6 km stage from Gruissan to Nîmes in just over four hours, a clip of 45 km/h average. Hot weather, with temps above 90°F/32C, likely contributed to the lack of hostilities.
- Into the final 10 km the pace began to heat up and various teams – Lotto Dstny, Uno-X, Alpecin, Ineos Grenadiers and Bahrain all vied for position at or near the front.
- Girmay’s crash came as the pack negotiated the left side of a large roundabout with 1.6 km to go. The Eritrean sprinter was well back in the field, and appeared to get squeezed between other riders as the field swept through the curve. He came down hard, along with several EF Education-EasyPost riders including their sprinter, Marijn van den Berg.
- Up ahead, it was Alpecin and Uno-X battling for control and Alpecin got the better of it with a perfectly timed and positioned lead-out from Van der Poel. Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) was largely a non-factor in what may be the final Tour sprint stage of his unmatched career, which will end with him in sole possession of the record for most stage wins ever.
“Suffering, I guess.”
Mathieu van der Poel when asked what’s left for Alpecin after what may be the Tour’s final sprint stage this year.
Brief analysis
- The combination of Girmay’s crash and Philipsen’s third stage win tightens the points standings considerably. As recently as stage 12, when Girmay took the win in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the Intermarché rider had a commanding advantage in the green jersey competition, with 328 points to Philipsen’s 221. But the Belgian has overcome his slow start with three wins in six stages and now stands just 32 points back of Girmay.
- With at most one more sprint finish in this year’s Tour – Thursday’s lumpy ride to Barcelonette – the green jersey standings will likely come down to which rider executes best in the intermediate sprints. Normally Girmay would be the more likely pick given the hilliness of the coming stages, but his health after the crash is unknown and could be a major factor. Philipsen and several other riders expressed at the finish that they hope he is OK and can continue to fight for points.
- Several hours post-stage, Girmay’s Intermarché team posted good news on social media: Girmay’s injuries were mostly superficial, and although he required two stitches in his right elbow, he “shows fighting spirit and will be ready to race tomorrow,” according to team doctor Simon Claeys.
Up next
Dare we hope for a long breakaway to succeed? The 177.8 km ride from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy looks on paper like one of the best chances of the 2024 Tour: a gradual uphill grind that finishes with three climbs that are steep enough to rule out any large bunches coming to the line together, but also unlikely to draw out a major GC battle. Of course [coughs “Le Lioran”], we’ve been wrong before. But if it does go to a break it will be just the fourth stage this Tour so far where that’s happened.
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