Jasper Philipsen completed his hat trick of stage wins at this year’s Tour de France after a dramatic crash involving green jersey leader Biniam Girmay in the final kilometres of Stage 16.
The 189-kilometre stage from Gruissan to Nîmes was a day for the sprinters, but the peloton took it easy under the scorching sun of southern France. The race only livened up after the intermediate sprint, some 97 kilometres from the start, when Thomas Gachignard of France launched a solo attack. His breakaway attempt was reeled in with 25 kilometres to go as the sprinters’ teams took control.
In a chaotic finale marked by multiple roundabouts, Philipsen was expertly led out by his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates. Mathieu van der Poel’s textbook lead-out allowed Philipsen to power past Phil Bauhaus and Alexander Kristoff to claim victory. Reflecting on his team’s effort, Philipsen said, “I’m really happy after such a team effort. It’s always nice when you can win together and that’s what we did today.”
The sprint was marred by a crash involving Biniam Girmay, who hit the tarmac within the last 2 kilometres. Despite the fall, Girmay managed to finish the stage, albeit significantly behind. “I fell on my knee. It’s a bit swollen and I’ve also had two stitches in my elbow. But that won’t be a problem,” Girmay told Sporza. He added, “I braked as hard as I could, but then I was on the ground.”
Philipsen expressed his concern for his rival, stating, “He’s climbing really well. I just hope he’s OK after the crash, because he doesn’t deserve to lose like this.” With this victory, Philipsen edged closer to Girmay in the points classification, reducing the lead to just 32 points.
Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar retained his yellow jersey, maintaining a lead of 3 minutes and 9 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar, who showed his strength in the Pyrenees last weekend, is now preparing for the challenging Alpine stages ahead.
Photo Credit: GettyChris Harper of Australia did not start Tuesday’s stage due to COVID-19 symptoms. His withdrawal marks the latest in a series of coronavirus cases affecting the Tour, with organisers reinstating protective measures including mandatory mask-wearing for those in contact with riders.
As the riders head to the Alps for Stage 17, featuring a 178-kilometre ride to Superdevoluy with three tough climbs in the final 40 kilometres, the general classification remains tense. Remco Evenepoel sits in third place, 5 minutes and 19 seconds behind Pogacar.
The race, still wide open for the sprinters’ green jersey, promises more drama in the days to come as Girmay and Philipsen continue their rivalry on the road to Nice.
2024 Tour de France Stage 16 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: ASO – Billy Ceusters
