Key Takeaways
- Jasper Philipsen won the 17th stage of the Tour de France.
- He finished several bike lengths ahead of Mauro Schmid and Olav Kooij.
- Philipsen has now won at least one stage in each of the last five editions of the Tour.
Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen secured a dominant victory in the 17th stage of the Tour de France, crossing the finish line to win the 174.7km distance from Chambery to Voiron on Wednesday. This triumph came after a series of near misses and frustrations for the 28-year-old rider.
Philipsen's victory was set up by his former world champion teammate Mathieu van der Poel, who provided a strong lead-out. Philipsen finished several bike lengths ahead of Mauro Schmid and Olav Kooij, both of whom had previously won stages at the Tour de France.
This win marks an 11th Tour stage victory for Philipsen overall and brings him closer to the green points jersey competition, with just seven points separating him from another former world champion, Mads Pedersen. Philipsen admitted that he was prepared very well but had struggled in earlier stages of the race.
Philipsen's teammate Mathieu van der Poel expressed relief at the victory, stating, 'I think it was a very hard day all day and I just tried to be in the front, (to) be in each important group and then everything came together.'
The 50 points Philipsen earned for winning the stage also moved him closer to the green jersey competition. Race leader Tadej Pogacar finished safely in the main peloton nearly nine minutes later.
However, there was a concern for Pogacar's UAE Emirates-XRG teammate Adam Yates, who struggled throughout the stage after suffering from a stomach problem the previous night. Yates eventually came home more than 26 minutes after Philipsen.
Philipsen's win represents an end to a frustrating period of near misses in his career. He had come close on several other sprint stages this year, finishing five times in the top five already. 'I was prepared very, very well, I was in the shape of my life,' said Philipsen, adding, 'The first stage (of the race) was horrible, I couldn’t find myself, I couldn’t find the form I was hoping for.'
This victory also means that Philipsen has won at least one stage in each of the last five editions of the Tour de France. His teammate Edward Planckaert was part of a six-man group that opened up a lead at the head of the race, making the victory slightly easier to achieve.
I think it was a very hard day all day and I just tried to be in the front, (to) be in each important group and then everything came together.
Mathieu van der Poel, Former world champion teammate of Jasper Philipsen
I was prepared very, very well, I was in the shape of my life. The first stage (of the race) was horrible, I couldn’t find myself, I couldn’t find the form I was hoping for.
Jasper Philipsen, Belgian cyclist
