Jasper Philipsen at the double on Tour de France sprint; Tadej Pogacar still retains lead

PAU – Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck won Stage 13 of the Tour de France, a 165km flat ride from Agen to Pau, pipping Wout van Aert to the line in a crash-marred sprint finale to win his second stage in four days.

Visma-Lease a Bike’s van Aert had looked set for victory when he was led out by his teammate, but Philipsen picked the right moment to attack and overtook his Belgian compatriot, who also finished second in the previous stage on July 11.

“We are already with two stage wins, so it’s not a bad Tour. We always want more, but we just have to go day by day and enjoy the victory today,” said Philipsen, who won four stages in 2023. “Wout was piloted perfectly by Christophe Laporte. I was on the wheel, but I had to launch early so I could pass him. So I’m really happy with my sprint and with the feeling.

“This was my best feeling so far in the Tour de France. We didn’t have the best start... Some bad luck, but I’m happy we could turn it around.”

Another Belgian sprinter, Arnaud de Lie, saw his hopes of a victory evaporate when he was involved in a crash in the final kilometre where several riders hit the deck.

Pascal Ackermann of Israel-Premier Tech was third, while Intermarche-Wanty’s Biniam Girmay, who has won three stages so far, was fourth.

Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey and the UAE Team Emirates rider stays one minute and six seconds ahead of Soudal Quick-Step’s Remco Evenepoel while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike is a further eight seconds behind.

Pogacar is looking to become the first rider in 26 years to achieve the Giro d’Italia and Tour double.

Primoz Roglic was not part of the pack, as he had withdrawn from the Tour de France “to focus on upcoming goals”, following a crash the previous day. The 2023 Giro d’Italia winner was brought down 12km from the finish line, ending Stage 12 with a grazed and bloodied shoulder on July 11, a day after losing 25 seconds after another crash on Stage 11.

The 34-year-old Slovenian is now likely to turn his attention to the Vuelta a Espana, which begins on Aug 17.

Roglic went through medical examinations after the crash and, on the morning of July 12, Rolf Aldag, sports director of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe wrote on X: “He had two crashes in a row. Just too much to continue. We, as a team, feel super sorry for him. We need to find new goals and to redefine ourselves.

“He really is followed by bad luck. What is impressing about him, he always fights back.”

Stage 14 on July 13 takes the peloton up the feared Col du Tourmalet, 19km at an average climb of 7.5 gradient to 2,115m altitude. Riders must then descend the Tourmalet and pedal up to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, an 11km stretch at 8 per cent gradient leading to the finish line. REUTERS, AFP