Latest news with #Philipsen
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Tour de France 2025: stage three from Valenciennes to Dunkirk
Update: Date: 2025-07-07T10:22:50.000Z Title: Stage two: Valenciennes to Dunkirk, 178km Content: Here's a look at today's stage, Monday 7 July: Valenciennes to Dunkirk, 178.3km, with William Fotheringham's preview: A third very accessible day for UK fans, another ascent of Cassel, but the safe money is on a bunch sprint in Dunkirk, famed among cycling fans for the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque stage race which actually lasts six days. The same proviso as day one: a westerly equals crosswinds on the final exposed 35km and splits in the field. These early days will be packed with crashes and tension, but Philipsen and company will be licking their lips. Also, you can look ahead to every stage with this handy guide: Update: Date: 2025-07-07T10:17:05.000Z Title: Preamble Content: Welcome back to the Guardian's Tour de France 2025 live blog! Join me for coverage of stage three – the flattest of the entire race this year. The 178.3km route from Valenciennes to Dunkirk features just one category four climb and 800m of elevation gain. The rollout is expected at 1.10pm CEST (12.10pm BST) and the finish should be about 5.18pm CEST (4.18pm BST) – although often the peloton go faster than the predicted speeds. Does that mean it'll be boring? Hopefully not. I think it'll be fast and, possibly, furious. The GC contenders will be vying to stay out of trouble, while the sprinters will have their eyes set on a stage win. There's a prediction of windy conditions too, which could cause a bit of tension in the peloton. So, who might ride to victory today? Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) is a firm favourite with pundits, but it'll be worth keeping an eye on Ineos Grenadiers' Sam Watson with him having triumphed at the Four Days of Dunkirk stage race in May. Other sprinters looking to contest a sprint finish? Obviously there's stage one winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), as well as Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula), Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty). Although the latter might be feeling sore after a crash on yesterday's stage. I would love to hear your predictions so please email me your thoughts. While we wait for the live TV coverage to kick off, here's Jeremy Whittle's stage two race report from Boulogne-sur-Mer:
Observer
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Observer
Philipsen wins windy Tour de France opener
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
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Philipsen wins windy Tour de France opener as Evenepoel trapped in split
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." 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
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Tour de France: Philipsen in yellow after day one
PA Media/dpa London Jasper Philipsen won a chaotic opening stage of the Tour de France to take the first yellow jersey of the race on Saturday. Philipsen took his 10th career Tour stage but the first to put him into yellow as he beat Biniam Girmay in a much-reduced bunch sprint after crosswinds split the peloton to pieces. Overall hopefuls Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic were both caught out, conceding 39 seconds to the main favourites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, with the Dane having done much to instigate the splits inside the last 20 kilometres of the 185km stage that started and finished in Lille. Fewer than 40 riders made it into the front group but Philipsen's Alpecin-Deceuninck team had four of them and they made it count, putting together an ideal lead-out for Philipsen to comfortably beat Girmay and Soren Waerenshjold to the line. 'It's really amazing,' the Belgian said. 'My 10th victory is something I will never forget. The team performance was incredible. I think we were there all day. It was very nervous but we knew today could be our day and we have to be in the front and we were there in the split. 'The team did amazing and in the end we could just use our strength and finish it off. 'I have dreamt about (the yellow jersey). Already I had the green jersey from two years ago but to have the yellow jersey hanging somewhere in my house in the next years is going to be amazing.'
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Frantic start to Tour de France is marred by series of falls
THERE WERE MIXED fortunes for the thousands of Belgian fans who poured over the border for the opening stage of the Tour de France as Jasper Philipsen won, but star rider Remco Evenepoel lost valuable time. Philipsen took the yellow jersey in a frantic sprint finish at the northern city of Lille, while double Olympic champion Evenepoel was trapped in a second group and lost 39 seconds. Race favourites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard both finished safely in the lead pack on a day marred by a series of falls. Ireland's Ben Healy, riding for EF Education – EasyPost, was 39 seconds off in 64th place. Team Jayco AlUla's Eddie Dunbar was making his Tour debut and was back in 154th. Even 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.' 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. Advertisement 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 after notching up a 10th career stage win on the Tour. His Alpecin team, marshalled by Mathieu van der Poel, formed an old-school sprint train that the winner hailed. 'What an experience! Those final kilometres, to be part of that,' beamed Philipsen. - 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 is something happens to the UAE star man. 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, but no rain fell until the riders had passed the finish line. 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 5 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 2025
