Jasper Philipsen took his second stage win at the 2024 Tour de France, but the Belgian sprinter again came under criticism from rivals over his sprinting style.
After a series of unsuccessful attacks in the final kilometers paved the way for another dash to the line, the Alpecin-Deceninck rider avoided a horrific crash in the final kilometer to hold off Wout Van Aert and Pascal Ackerman at Pau’s Place de Verdun .
But after the finish, Israel-Premier Tech’s Ackerman refused to shake Philipson’s hand and then angrily suggested that his rival should be removed by the race commissioners.
“As Phillipson was passing me he caught my front wheel, swerved to the right and I almost crashed.” Ackerman said. “He has done the same many times now, and he is doing the same now. I hope they take it back (remove it) today, because it’s too much.”
Phillipson was asked to respond to suggestions that he should be removed, saying: “I don’t like that kind of question, no comment.”
On the final stage, at Pla d’Edette and Plateau de Beille, before the Tour entered the Pyrenees for back-to-back summit finishes, the sprinters and their teams were expected to dominate the race.
But in what was the eighth fastest stage in Tour history, the average speed across the entire stage was close to 50 km/h, which, combined with unstable wind conditions, fractured the peloton on several occasions.
There were only two fourth-category climbs on the route, but high winds created havoc almost from the start. Attack after attack led to a series of splits and frantic chases, in which the top three on the general classification – Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Winggaard – were active at every opportunity.
But some of the early breakaways weren’t happy with the way Pogacar’s UAE Emirates team was actively trying to create momentum with every offensive move.
One of the breakaway riders, Frenchman Julien Bernard of Lidl–Trek, said, “I told Adam Yates (Pogacar’s teammate) 15 times to drop back, but he said his team wanted him to ride.”
“I understand that the UAE wants to tire Wisma (Vinggard’s team) with the upcoming days, but I don’t understand why Wisma wants to tire their team when there is a mountain stage on Saturday,” he said.
The fast pace, frequent attacks and uncontrolled racing towards Pau dashed the hopes of many of the leading runners, including Mark Cavendish, who strayed into a small group.
It was another wretched day for the record-breaking stage winner, who was in one of the away groups from attacks in a crosswind less than 60 kilometers from Pau.
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But as Cavendish suggested on Thursday morning, Covid is once again stalking the peloton. On the eve of the Pyrenees, Pogacar’s team was weakened after one of his key climbing lieutenants, Juan Ayuso, left the race due to the virus.
Defending champion Wingegaard was wearing a face mask at the start of the stage, but said it was only a “precaution”.
Primoz Roglic, who finished second overall in the 2020 Tour, did not start the Tour’s 13th stage, after crashing on consecutive stages. The Slovenian dropped to sixth overall after his crash on Thursday.
“Primos was carefully examined by our medical team after yesterday’s stage and again this morning,” the Bora-Hansgrohe team said before the start of the stage in Agen. “The decision has been taken that he will not start.”
Phillipson believes there is one more sprint stage – stage 16 from Gruyson to Nîmes – before the peloton tackles a final week full of long, steep climbs before the closing time trial in Nice on July 21.
With the traditional closing ceremony not taking place in Paris due to preparations for the Paris Olympics, the runners are having to endure through extreme mountain stages.
“It will be tough after Stage 16,” he said. “To reach Nice you have to go through the next four stages. We have to remain mentally strong.”
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