logo
Philipsen wins windy Tour de France opener

Philipsen wins windy Tour de France opener

Observer06-07-2025
LILLE, France: There were mixed fortunes for the thousands of Belgian fans who poured over the border for the opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday as Jasper Philipsen won, but star rider Remco Evenepoel faltered in his long-range bid for the title itself.
Philipsen took the yellow jersey in a frantic sprint finish at the northern city of Lille, his tenth Tour de France win crowned with a rare race lead for a rider usually chasing sprint points.
Title favourites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the lead pack.
But Vingegaard was on red alert as the split started and his explosive acceleration helped stun the peloton and leave his Visma team delighted with the damage done by the day's work with a 40sec advantage over several important rivals.
"It was our plan to use the wind at 20km and it worked," said Vingegaard.
Known for his pounces in the mountains, Vingegaard has won the Tour in 2022 and 2023.
The 28-year-old grew up in a remote fishing community, racing into strong winds on the coastal roads in Denmark.
Defending champion Pogacar appeared flustered at the finish line.
"It was as frantic as we had expected, but when the split came fortunately I was near the front," said the 26-year-old Slovenian.
"I'm just happy day one is done. Nine days to go before the first rest day."
- Caught napping - Billed as the third man here after finishing behind Pogacar and Vingegaard on his debut Tour in 2024, Evenepoel was in sombre mood at his team bus.
"We were asleep, we thought any danger was over," Evenepoel said of the split where both he and his team's sprinter Tim Merlier found themselves trapped just 20km from the finish.
Around 40 riders in the first group contested the sprint where one of the day's many falls happened.
Primoz Roglic and Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull, and Team UAE's Joao Almeida were also caught out in the blustery winds.
Another UAE man, Adam Yates, lost minutes, meaning Pogacar's two deputies are off the pace if something happens to the UAE star man.
Africa's sole rider Biniam Girmay, winner of three stages in 2024, was second on the day as Philipsen got ahead of him with 100m to go.
But Girmay, winner of the 2024 best sprinter's green jersey, ended the stage with the white jersey for the best 25-and-under rider.
Philipsen, however, was the man in yellow.
"It's a day I will never forget. This is why I have been getting up early and training hard each day," said Philipsen.
"What an experience! Those final kilometres, to be part of that," beamed the 27-year-old Belgian.
Fans packed the route in one of France's more modest regions passing First World War memorials, red-brick houses and slagheaps from long-closed coal mines along the Belgian border.
Under overcast skies with the temperature a manageable 22C, the peloton cut a fast pace despite the windy conditions.
Racing towards an intermediate sprint over cobbles, escapee Benjamin Thomas slid sideways and took out his sole rival Matteo Vercher in one spectacular fall and the pair were still bickering when the peloton shot past them.
Former time-trial world champion Filippo Ganna was one rider who will take no further part after a clumsy fall on a corner.
The Italian would have been a contender on the lengthy stage five individual time-trial, as well as key in the Ineos team's campaign to get veteran Geraint Thomas into the top 10 on his 14th and final Tour de France.
Philipsen, in yellow, will lead the peloton out for Sunday's second stage, a hilly 209km route to the beaches of Boulogne-sur-Mer. — AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Merlier wins stage nine of Tour de France
Merlier wins stage nine of Tour de France

Observer

time2 days ago

  • Observer

Merlier wins stage nine of Tour de France

*Merlier beats Milan in another photo finish *Pogacar retains yellow jersey *Van der Poel's early attack ends in heartbreak Tim Merlier powered past Jonathan Milan to win stage nine of the Tour de France on Sunday, denying the green jersey holder back-to-back wins after Mathieu van der Poel's audacious solo attack ended in heartbreak just 700 metres from the finish. Merlier's second stage win of this year's Tour mirrored the Soudal Quick-Step sprinter's photo finish victory over the Italian on stage three. The Belgian stayed glued to Milan's wheel before unleashing his kick metres from the finish in Chateauroux after the 174.1-kilometre ride from Chinon. "One moment I thought I was boxed in but I can come out just before 200 metres or maybe just after, I don't know anymore," Merlier said. "I just go all in and I'm happy I can win my second stage here." Van der Poel's day began with promise as he and Jonas Rickaert broke away early, building up a commanding lead of more than five minutes with a tailwind pushing them to speeds of more than 50 kph. The Alpecin-Deceuninck duo persisted after taking points in the intermediate sprint for the green jersey before the peloton began their chase. "Well, five minutes-and-a-half is a lot so we tried to help and also other teams started to help. The pacing was quite high," Merlier added. "So they were at the front but it was just hard for the guys in the front and the guys who were pulling and the bunch was just nervous." However, the peloton soon began to reel in the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo to reduce the lead to less than a minute with 11 km to go while sprint specialist Wout Van Aert was dropped. As the rest of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team attempted to move to the front of the bunch and disrupt the chase, a tiring Rickaert finally gave in and slowed down, leaving Van der Poel to ride solo to the finish with more than five kilometres left. The Dutchman was visibly grimacing as the chasing pack came into view behind him and his heroic effort ended in the final kilometre when he was swallowed up by the bunch. Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) retained the yellow jersey and maintains a 54-second lead over Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) in the general classification. UAE Team Emirates and Pogacar suffered a major blow, however, when mountain domestique Joao Almeida was forced to abandon the race after fracturing a rib in a crash on stage seven — just before the Tour heads into the mountains. The 26-year-old, who finished fourth in the general classification last year, had come into the race in brilliant form having won the Tour de Suisse, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie earlier this year. — Reuters

Pogacar back in yellow after winning stage seven of Tour de France
Pogacar back in yellow after winning stage seven of Tour de France

Observer

time4 days ago

  • Observer

Pogacar back in yellow after winning stage seven of Tour de France

FRANCE: Defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) is back in the yellow jersey after the Slovenian fought off Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) to win stage seven of the Tour de France on Friday. Pogacar, three-times winner, claimed his second stage of this year's Tour at the end of a 197-km ride from Saint-Malo to Mur-de-Bretagne, outsprinting Vingegaard at the summit finish, with Britain's Oscar Onley taking third place. Mathieu van der Poel began the day with a one-second lead over Pogacar but the Dutchman finished 22nd on the stage and slipped to fifth overall, with Belgian Remco Evenepoel now in second place and 54 seconds behind the Slovenian. Van der Poel won his first Tour de France stage, and claimed his first yellow jersey, at the Mur-de-Bretagne finish in 2021, but there was no repeat for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, after he was dropped on the steep climb to the line. "I was quite sure I would lose the jersey today so I tried to enjoy it as much as possible," Van der Poel said. "Coming back here to Mur-de-Bretagne is quite special wearing the yellow jersey after four years." After several early attacks, a five-man group -- containing 2018 winner Geraint Thomas, with the 39-year-old Welshman riding his last Tour -- got away with over 140 km still to race. LOUD CHEERS With the peloton upping the pace, the leading group began to crack, leaving Ewen Costiou (Arkea-B&B Hotels) out alone as the race reached the Mur-de-Bretagne for the first time with the peloton just 20 seconds behind as they crossed the summit. Costiou was soon swallowed up by the bunch, but the 22-year-old Breton had his moment of glory, the local rider greeted with loud cheers from the huge crowd gathered at what would also be the finish line. With six kilometres remaining, a crash at the back of the peloton brought down several riders, including Pogacar's team-mate Joao Almeida, who was seventh overall in the standings, and stage six winner Ben Healy. The action was always going to come in the finishing circuit, where the riders faced the Mur-de-Bretagne twice, and Pogacar tried to get away from the reduced bunch in the final two kilometres to the finish. Pogacar was followed by Evenepoel and Vingegaard, and eventually eight riders were left battling for the stage win in the last kilometre, but Van der Poel was not among them, dropped on that final climb. That left Pogacar certain of taking back the yellow jersey which he had narrowly lost on Thursday and, after team-mate Jhonatan Narvaez led him out, Pogacar stole a march on his rivals by pouncing first. Vingegaard, twice winner, was the only rider able to go with Pogacar but the Slovenian punched the air in delight as he crossed the line ahead of the Dane. "I'm super happy with the win today, we did almost perfect, unfortunately Joao crashed and I hope he's okay," Pogacar said. "If he is okay then it's a perfect day, if not then this victory is for him." Saturday's stage eight is a mostly flat 171.4 km ride from Saint-Meen-le-Grand to Laval. — Reuters

Merlier wins stage three of Tour de France
Merlier wins stage three of Tour de France

Observer

time7 days ago

  • Observer

Merlier wins stage three of Tour de France

DUNKIRK: Belgian Tim Merlier pipped Italian Jonathan Milan right at the line to win stage three of the Tour de France at Dunkirk on Monday, as Mathieu van der Poel retained the race lead. The stage was marred by a series of falls, but the two favourites for the title Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the main pack and remain in second and third place overall behind Van der Poel. The flat 179 km run from Valenciennes along the Belgian border was marked above all by a nasty fall that caused Jasper Philipsen to quit with severe grazing and a suspected fracture. The fall happened during an intermediate sprint 60 km away from Dunkirk and ripped the green best sprinter's jersey from Philipsen's back as he slid along the road in the 70kph crash. Much of what Philipsen's team Alpecin had planned for the Tour revolved around the sprinter, team-mate Van der Poel revealed. "It's always one of our goals to win stages so this is a bad day," the 30-year-old said. Van der Poel suggested the wind had emboldened the sprinters. "In a head wind it's easier to come from behind in the sprints, it made things more chaotic," he said. There were three more falls, including two nasty looking ones in the finale with Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, Merlier's teammate, involved. A MESS Merlier, 32, grew up just over the border from Dunkirk and had been hoping to win the opening stage on Sunday. "That was a mess," Merlier said of the falls. "I lost a great deal of energy getting in position but it was a good bike throw. I knew I'd beat Milan." Lidl-Trek's Milan led over most of the final 150m, but even without sealing the stage win his efforts were still rewarded as he inherited the green sprint points jersey from the stricken Philipsen. Van der Poel in the leader's yellow jersey is the grandson of French cycling legend Raymond Poulidor, who came second in the Tour de France seven times, but never won and never got to don the yellow tunic. Another Belgian, the national champion Tim Wellens, gave cross-border fans even more to celebrate as he won the day's only climb, the 2.3 km ascent of Mont Cassel at 31 km from the finish line. The 34-year-old will now hold the king of the mountains polka dot jersey overnight. Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin is in the best under-25's rider's white jersey after staying in the finishing mix in all three stages. Regional police said one million spectators had lined the roadsides on the opening day, and while rain dissuaded that kind of turnout for stage two, huge crowds turned out again for the run to Dunkirk. The eleven bikes stolen from outside the Cofidis team hotel early on Sunday were all found before the stage's end — five of them were recovered abandoned in a forest early on Monday with the others being tracked down by the police later in the day. Tuesday's fourth stage is a 174 km run from Amiens, as the Tour leaves the North region, to Rouen in Normandy, with five hills in the final 25 km designed to spark a series of race-splitting attacks. The first section of the Tour is raced through the north and west of France. The volcanic landscape of the Puy de Dome presents the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. — AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store