Jasper Philipsen surged past Wout van Aert on Friday to claim his second victory of this Tour de France. The Alpecin Deceuninck rider emerged from a reduced group in Pau after a late crash disrupted the bunch at the end of a frenetic day marked by echelon action.
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TogglePascal Ackermann and green jersey leader Biniam Girmay finished third and fourth respectively. For Van Aert, the result stung as he finished second for the second consecutive day after a series of top-6 finishes.
Tadej Pogacar, the general classification leader, finished in the front group of the 13th stage after a crash at 1km to go disrupted many top sprinters. Pogacarโs closest rivals, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, crossed the line 35 seconds later after being caught in the pileup. The โ3km ruleโ ensured no changes in the standings among the top contenders ahead of two challenging stages in the Pyrenees.
Echelons Shape Explosive Transition Stage
Friday’s 13th stage was a relentless battle through southwest France, with winds gusting across the plains into Pau. The race shattered twice, first in the opening hour and again about 60km from the finish.
A group of more than twenty riders attempted an early break, but the peloton, led by Visma-Lease a Bike, kept the pace high. The race split further due to crosswinds and the efforts of Visma-Lease a Bike.
Adam Yates, a general classification threat, joined the front echelon, while the GC big three – Vingegaard, Pogacar, and Evenepoel – rotated in a group behind. This prompted Ineos Grenadiers and sprint teams to work hard to close the gap.
With 60km to go, UAE Emirates, led by Pogacar, increased the tempo into a wide, exposed section, putting further pressure on the peloton. Despite attempts by Pogacar and Evenepoel to isolate Vingegaard, the Dane remained well-guarded, and the front group stayed together.
Sprint Finish Drama
As the race neared its conclusion, various breakaway attempts were neutralised. In the final sprint, Van Aert was positioned perfectly behind teammate Christophe Laporte but was overtaken by Philipsen in the last moments. Reflecting on the finish, Van Aert said, “Laporte positioned me fantastically, but at a certain point he was done, and I took the lead a bit too early. Philipsen came from behind me at a higher speed. After that, I couldnโt pass him anymore. It was a fair sprint this time, yes,” he laughed. “As it should be.”
Philipsen was delighted with his second stage win, saying, “I kept on believing because the feeling was good, I was a lot more confident than the last weeks. Iโm really happy with the sprint and my feeling.”
The sprint finale was marred by a crash involving Maxim Van Gils, who collided with an Arkรฉa-B&B rider. Arnaud De Lie, who miraculously stayed upright, remarked, “Itโs like always, someone looks back and then itโs casino. You have to look ahead of you, not behind you. Because then youโll have a big crash.”
The crash caused many sprinters to miss their opportunity, including Dylan Groenewegen, Sam Bennett, Alexander Kristoff, and Mark Cavendish.
Departures and Challenges
Earlier in the day, Primoลพ Rogliฤ of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe did not start the stage due to injuries from a crash on Thursday. Pogacar’s teammate, Juan Ayuso, also abandoned the race shortly after starting the stage, reportedly due to a positive COVID test, as per Spanish newspaper AS.
Despite the setbacks, the race continues with Pogacar in the yellow jersey. Vingegaard looks forward to the mountainous stages, saying, “We are approaching terrain that suits me well. Today was a good day for us. We all got to the finish safely and didnโt lose any time. The important thing now is to recover and be at the start tomorrow as good as possible.”
Tour de France Stage 13 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty