In an exhilarating finish to the 10th stage of the Tour de France, Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen secured his victory with a textbook sprint, demonstrating his exceptional speed and strategy.
Philipsen, who previously won four stages in last year’s race, was propelled to the front by a flawless lead-out from his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate and world champion Mathieu van der Poel. The duo dominated the final kilometers from Orleans, ensuring Philipsen crossed the finish line first after a grueling 187.3-kilometer ride.
Joining Philipsen on the podium were Eritrean Biniam Girmay, who has already claimed two stage wins this edition, and German cyclist Pascal Ackermann, who took third place.
Despite the stage win, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar retained his yellow jersey, maintaining his position as the overall leader as riders prepare for the challenging mountain stages in the Massif Central.
The stage saw a compact peloton navigating through intermittent rain showers, with teams conserving energy following Monday’s rest day. The competitive spirit ignited in the final five kilometers as sprinters’ teams vied for the best positioning. Alpecin-Deceuninck excelled in this critical phase, with van der Poel launching a powerful sprint 300 meters from the finish, allowing Philipsen to secure a comfortable victory.
At 26 years old, this win marks a significant milestone for Philipsen, whose best result so far this year was a second-place finish in Florence. Reflecting on his performance, Philipsen stated, \"We came on the Tour de France with a strong leadout train and it paid off today. The mark is checked now we can continue the Tour with more confidence. We just had to keep believing, but every time you waste an opportunity, it's gone, and chances are limited, sometimes the breakaway goes all the way.\"
Philipsen also praised van der Poel’s efforts, saying, \"Mathieu is a really strong guy. When he can show his power and play his part there aren't many riders who can emulate him. Having the world champion as your lead-out guy is fantastic.\"
The only setback for Philipsen was not making significant progress in the points classification, where Girmay remains firmly in control with 267 points compared to Philipsen's 195.
Reference(s):
Philipsen finally bags Tour stage win as Pogacar stays in control
cgtn.com
