Latest news with #Intermarche-Wanty
Mint
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Jasper Philipsen's Tour de France ends abruptly after stage 3 crash
Jasper Philipsen was forced to abandon the 2025 Tour de France race after a severe crash during stage 3. The incident, which occurred during an intermediate sprint, marked a heartbreaking end to what had been a strong start for Philipsen and his Alpecin-Deceuninck team. Details about the crash On stage 3 of the 2025 Tour de France, a 178.3 km route from Valenciennes to Dunkirk, disaster struck for Jasper Philipsen during an intermediate sprint with around 60km remaining. As he surged for points, rival sprinter Bryan Coquard of Cofidis collided with Intermarche-Wanty's lead-out man Laurenz Rex. The contact caused Coquard to bump into Philipsen's path, leaving the Belgian with no room. Injury and treatment Traveling at nearly 60 kph, Philipsen crashed heavily, landing on his right shoulder and skidding across the tarmac. His jersey was torn to shreds, and he sustained visible injuries, including bloody scrapes and a suspected shoulder injury, possibly a broken collarbone. Race doctors quickly attended Philipsen, placing his right arm in a sling. Despite his initial attempt to continue, the severity of his injuries made it impossible for him to carry on. The Alpecin-Deceuninck team confirmed his withdrawal on social media, stating, 'Joy and sorrow so close together. An update on his medical condition will follow as soon as possible. We are all with you, Jasper!' Jasper Philipsen's exit and Alpecin-Deceuninck Philipsen's abrupt exit was a bitter blow for Alpecin-Deceuninck, who had dominated the opening days of the Tour. The 27-year-old Belgian sprinter won stage 1 in Lille, claiming the yellow jersey for the first time in his career and solidifying his position as the points classification leader with the green jersey. On stage 2, teammate Mathieu van der Poel took the yellow jersey with a victory in Boulogne-sur-Mer, making it a dream weekend for the team. Philipsen's 10th career Tour stage win had positioned him as a top contender for the green jersey, a title he won in 2023. The crash not only ended Philipsen's Tour but also shifted the team's strategy. The aftermath of the race The intermediate sprint where Philipsen crashed saw Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek take maximum points, though the group slowed after the incident. Other riders, including a Movistar cyclist, narrowly avoided further collisions. Bryan Coquard and Laurenz Rex stayed upright, with Coquard unclipping to avoid falling. However, tensions increased post-crash, with one of Philipsen's teammates angrily confronting Coquard, even appearing to make physical contact during a heated exchange. Philipsen's withdrawal handed the virtual green jersey to Biniam Girmay of Intermarche-Wanty, last year's points classification winner. With a sprint finish expected at the end of stage 3, won by Tim Merlier, the points race was set to tighten further. Girmay's position as the new frontrunner adds intrigue to the sprinters' battle in the coming stages.
France 24
03-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Girmay has golden dream for Africa at Tour de France
The 25-year-old from Eritrea won three stages on the 2024 Tour de France to claim the best sprinter's green jersey. But on Saturday he could claim the legendary overall leader's yellow jersey. This year the opening stage starts and finishes in Lille and should be decided by a mass bunch sprint, as it is largely flat. The Intermarche-Wanty rider is the only black African on the 184-rider roster. "I'm the only one, it's a lot of pressure but it's such a pleasure to represent my country and my continent," said the softly-spoken Girmay. "But first for myself and for my family, it would be such a pleasure to win the first stage and get the yellow jersey." Girmay and his key sprint rival Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin both warned that the stage could prove to be a frantic affair. "I'm aware of the danger on the opening stage, if you fall here it ruins all three weeks," Girmay said at Lille's Opera House ahead of a parade around the city. Girmay said his aim was to defend his green sprint points jersey, but also to win at least one stage. "I'll always try to get the best possible result on the Tour de France, because this is what counts," Girmay said. "The opening day is a nice opportunity for the sprinters, a flat stage, a sprint. "If you crash here though it'll ruin your three weeks. But I'm here to win a stage, it's my dream, and I'll do my best to win it." 'The hotter, the better' Much of France has been wilting under an intense heatwave in the lead up to the Tour, but Girmay was unfazed by this. "I like the heat. If there's one person who is happy to ride in the heat, it's me," he said with a broad smile. "The hotter, the better." The 27-year-old Philipsen was also targeting the opening stage. "This is a rare chance for a sprinter to get the yellow jersey," he said, sat alongside his savvy sideman Mathieu van der Poel. "I dont want to ruin my tour here, but it should be a bunch sprint if there's no wind," he said. The 112th edition of the Tour sets off Saturday with the opening stages near the Belgian border and the English Channel. The first 10 days of the 21-day run across the peaks and plains of France are set up to keep the tension boiling as far as possible before big guns Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard potentially slug it out for the victory in the Alps in the third week.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Giro d'Italia chaos with riders in huge crash as protestors sabotage race
The sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia was halted after a disaster crash caused a major pile-up around 44 miles from the finish line in Naples - and that wasn't the only drama of the day The Giro d'Italia screeched to a halt on Thursday following a 20-rider pile-up crash just 44 miles from the finish line. The annual race, which is the first of the year's three Grand Tours, is a prestigious event primarily held in Italy but also passing through neighbouring countries. It had begun in Potenza and was bound for the finish line in Naples, but a disastrous crash curtailed the excitement towards the conclusion. The incident saw slippery surfaces causing many racers, including former champion Jai Hindley, to end up in a heap in the middle of the road. Hindley's race was confirmed to be over after medical exams revealed he had suffered a concussion and would remain in the hospital overnight for observation. In addition to the 2022 victor's exit from the event, leader Mads Pedersen also went down, and other riders, including Richard Carapaz, Derek Gee, and Adam Yates, were caught up in the commotion. They were deemed okay to continue, but Dion Smith of Intermarche-Wanty and Juri Hollmann of Alpecin-Deceuninck joined Hindley in abandoning the race. Hindley's accident is a major blow for his Red Bull team, as pre-race favourite and team-mate Primoz Roglic could now be without an experienced climber alongside him. Red Bull director Patxi Vila told TNT Sports that the crash was a "big loss" for the team, and highlighted Hindley's importance to his squad. Vila said: "Definitely not what we expected today, it's a big loss for us to lose Jai. "He knows how to win this race and was a very important man for us in the three weeks. I think it's nothing to be worried about, he was a bit dizzy so that's why race doctors said to put him in the ambulance. Nothing broken." However, this rain-affected crash wasn't the only drama on the race track on Thursday. A pair of protestors also derailed the two front-runners just a few miles from the finish. Taco van der Hoorn of Intermarche-Wanty and Enzo Paleni of Groupama–FDJ were leading towards the end of the Stage Six phase, when they were forced to swerve and brake to avoid people on the road. With less than two miles to go in Naples, one person in a yellow coat ran on the road holding a length of tape, which was attached to a fellow protestor on the other side. Footage shown by TNT Sports also captured the protestor throwing a long cable onto the tarmac. Van der Hoorn slammed on his brakes, and Paleni was forced to swerve behind him to avoid a crash. The tape got caught on the Dutchman's neck as he came to an almost complete stop, ending his hopes of a victory. The same protestor emerged moments later as the rest of the riders arrived, waving a white banner in front of the peloton. A crash was narrowly avoided, and Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck ultimately won. Van der Hoorn was disappointed by the race's ending. He told TNT Sports: "In the end it was close. But at 2.5km, there were protestors on the road and they blocked me completely. "They were standing with a line in front of me and I had to brake until zero. Then it was over completely because we had to relaunch. I don't know if we would have made it, I don't think so, but it was sad."
Saba Yemen
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Saba Yemen
Mountain goat attacks cyclist during famous race
Tirana - (Saba): New Zealand cyclist Dion Smith, a member of the Intermarche-Wanty team, was suddenly attacked by a mountain goat during a stage of the Giro d'Italia. The incident occurred during the 160-kilometer stage in southern Albania. A goat rushed onto the course and attacked Smith, forcing him to veer off the road and onto the edge. According to reports, the animal slightly struck the rear wheel of his bike before fleeing onto the rocks, while the New Zealand cyclist managed to maintain his balance and avoid falling. Smith jokingly commented on the incident: "I was expecting it to be a wild dog, but apparently goats are more common here. Albania is great, it's a new experience... just keep an eye out for the goats!" It's worth noting that strange incidents are nothing new in cycling. In the summer of 2021, a female fan caused a mass accident during the Tour de France after standing on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign toward the camera, unaware of the approaching cyclists. Whatsapp Telegram Email more of (International)
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pedersen sprints back into Giro pink after mountain goat incident
Denmark's Mads Pedersen won a mass bunch sprint on stage three of the Giro d'Italia at the coastal town of Vlore on Sunday on the final day of racing in Albania, which also featured a mountain goat running through the peloton. This was a second stage win on the 2025 Giro following the Lidl-Trek rider's opening day win and left him 9sec clear of Slovenian veteran Primoz Roglic in the overall standings. Despite a 10.7km climb with seven percent gradients 35km from the finish, an arrow-straight 1km home run on the Adriatic coast set up a very high speed finish where Pedersen went early and held off a late burst from Corbin Strong of IPT. "That's exactly what we wanted today. We have two victories already and the pink jersey," said a clearly ecstatic Pedersen, who finished in 3hr 49min 47sec. Halfway through the race, a mountain goat hit straggling rider Dion Smith of Intermarche-Wanty in the hills outside Vlore. Fortunately neither rider nor goat were hurt as a herd of goats and a large unaccompanied dog watched on, with Smith showing great reactions in staying upright as the goat ran across the road right into him. Many of the pure sprinters were dropped 60km from the finish while Saturday's time trial winner Josh Tarling led a 120km break on Sunday, but was caught and dropped by the peloton on the last climb. Roglic remains the highest placed of the favourites for the overall title with Team UAE rider Juan Ayuso 16sec behind him as the 22-year-old Spaniard attempts to defend the title his team won with Tadej Pogacar in 2024. Italian home hope Antonio Tiberi, Simon Yates of Visma, his twin brother Adam Yates of UAE and two former South American winners of the Giro, Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and Colombian Egan Bernal, are all well positioned 25-50sec adrift. Those kind of gaps can go up in smoke over the space of a kilometre in the high mountains during the final week. After three days in Albania, the Giro heads back across the Adriatic to Italy, with Monday a rest day for the riders. Tuesday's fourth stage is a flat run to Lecce in the heel of Italy, where the pure sprinters such as Olav Kooij, Sam Bennett, Kaden Groves or Paul Magnier should be in the final mix. The rest of next week is hills galore as the riders criss-cross Italy via Matera and Napoli and climbing as far as Siena by stage nine. The final week of the Giro will be decisive with stage 16 featuring five Alpine mountains, and stage 20 ending with a gruelling climb up the Colle delle Finestre to the Sestriere ski resort -- the moment when the winner is likely to emerge. dmc/nf
