Jasper Philipsen took his fourth win of this Tour de France, claiming degree 11 from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins via sprinting transparent of his closest rival Dylan Groenewegen, of Team Jayco AlUla, within the ultimate 100 metres.
The Belgian – already a winner in Bayonne, Nogaro and Bordeaux – mastered the short end very easily. This regardless of the absence of his steadfast lead‑out guy and Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel, who was once dropped via the bunch, after sickness.
“I can win without Mathieu, but of course he makes it easier,” Philipsen mentioned. “I had to find my wheel [to follow] and it’s also finding the space. It’s hectic and dangerous, but I’m glad I could find a good wheel. Groenewegen opened up early, and I could go over [the top],
The Tour’s defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), finished safely in the peloton and retains a 17-second lead over Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).
A stage earmarked by the sprinters and the baroudeurs (or breakaway artists) stuck to the script, with a three-man move dominating the proceedings until the last of the trio, Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) was finally swept up with 13km to race. The speed increased as the riders sped over the Pont Régemortes, bridging the Allier river, despite steady rain falling in the closing kilometres. But Philipsen was always in control and unleashed his power in the final 100m to secure a comfortable victory. He now leads the points classification by 150 points.
With the peloton moving steadily towards the Rhone, before crossing towards the Jura and Friday’s next summit finish on the Grand Colombier, speculation continues on how high Yorkshire’s Tom Pidcock can finish in the General Classification. “You can’t say he couldn’t podium,” Rod Ellingworth, the Ineos Grenadiers deputy main, mentioned. “I feel it is in succeed in. He’s in that ballpark.”
Pidcock is eighth overall, almost five and a half minutes behind the race leader Vingegaard. Ellingworth said of Pidcock: “He would not wish to lose to any extent further time to the crowd under the main two, however I feel [a top-three finish] it’s conceivable. I unquestionably assume best 5 could be very life like.
“He’s were given that skill to boost his recreation at the day. You may just see that once he received the Strade Bianche. All the blokes I do know who’ve that skill, who’ve received Olympic and international titles, they do not fall apart.”
Meanwhile the uncertainty over Mark Cavendish’s future continues, fueled by the suggestion from his Astana Qazaqstan team that he postpone his planned retirement until the end of 2024, in order to compete in next year’s Tour. According to his sprint consultant and former teammate, Mark Renshaw, Cavendish is now at home in Essex, awaiting surgery on his fractured collarbone. No decision has yet been taken on postponing his retirement, although it is thought that the 38-year-old will wait a couple of months before making a final call on his future.
While Cavendish ponders his plans, the evergreen Geraint Thomas, second overall in the Giro d’Italia this year and third in the 2022 Tour, is expected to sign a new two-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers. “I feel we are getting there,” Ellingworth said of negotiations with Thomas. “Even without consequences, his presence is massive. You can’t underestimate what Geraint brings to the team, on the bus, in training camps. The bigger the competition, the better he gets.”
Vingegaard would possibly retain the race lead, however his post-race press meetings are changing into an increasing number of surreal, because the media continues to chisel at his aloof external. Asked to reply to the French newspaper Libération’s advice that he struggled with the “impossibility of being in the world”, the Dane seemed flummoxed. “‘The impossibility of being in the world?'” he repeated after a protracted pause. “I do not even know what that suggests. That’s an overly deep query. He added: “I guess we all are.”