Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen won stage 17 of the Tour de France following a bunch sprint.
The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider powered over the line with a good gap over his rivals to win his first stage in what had been a frustrating three-week race.
The 28-year-old won the prestigious green points jersey in 2023, but had struggled in this race to catch compatriot Tim Merlier in the final phases of sprints.
After stage seven, he was seen on social media tossing his bike in frustration after his illustrious team-mate, the powerhouse classics legend Mathieu van der Poel had mis-timed his lead-out and Philipsen became blocked in.
But after a hilly start on a warm day on the 174.7km stage from Chambery to Voiron near the Alps, Philipsen enjoyed a powerful lead-out from Van der Poel and was able to sustain his power all the way to the line.
The stage, which flattened in the latter stages to suit the sprinters, could have worked out differently as several riders attempted to break away from the peloton.
More than 40 riders eventually got away, including current green jersey wearer Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek and British rider Josh Tarling of Netcompany Ineos Cycling plus Lewis Askey of Spain’s 2010 World Cup winner Andres Iniesta’s NSN Cycling.
Denmark’s Pedersen eventually finished eighth, but retained the green jersey by only seven points in the standings over Philipsen in second – setting up an exciting finale in Paris.
It was the sprinters’ last chance to battle on the flat until the race’s final stage in the French capital on Sunday, which has changed to incorporate a short lapped climb over Montmartre.
“Such a roller-coaster of emotions on this Tour,” said a tearful Philipsen after the stage. “The first 12 stages were just horrible – I couldn’t find myself; couldn’t find the feeling I was hoping for. After 17 stages to take victory, its really one for team for keeping on believing in me.
“I want to thank everybody… I was like an angry bird at the [dinner] table [each night]. Just disappointed and angry, and the team, they had to deal with it. This one is for them for keeping on believing.”
It was a quiet day for the riders in the overall battle for the yellow jersey, with leader Tadej Pogacar coming home in the peloton nearly nine minutes behind the bunch sprint.
Pogacar, 27, of UAE Team Emirates-XRG sits four minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Belgian star Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, with Pogacar’s Mexican team-mate Isaac del Toro a further one minute and 19 seconds in down in third in the overall standings.
Another Briton, Tom Pidcock, came home in the peloton, but one of Pogacar’s key domestiques Adam Yates struggled with sickness during the stage after vomiting at the end of Tuesday’s time trial, eventually making it over the line more than 26 minutes down.
The team will assess whether former yellow jersey wearer and one-time Tour stage winner Yates will continue on, with the next three gruelling mountain stages taking place in the Alps – starting with Thursday’s stage 18 test to Orcieres-Merlette.
