Alexander Kristof battles to goal with the group up front in a chaotic finish, but he didn’t have much to show for when everything had to be decided. Jasper Philipsen won the stage – temperatures of up to 40 degrees marked the riders.
– You’re totally done. It was very hot and I was completely boiled, Kristof told TV2 right after I finished.
Kristof and several other enemy cannons were pushed away from the main square with 50 kilometers left, but just over 30 kilometers from the end Kristoff and Dylan Groenewegen fought their way to the main square. It probably cost more than it tasted.
The effort ended with Christophe led by teammate Andrea Pasqualon, rather than asking for his own chances.
– I really tried to help Pasqualon, because I felt that I had nothing to do in the sprint. You are completely done. “We didn’t quite make it,” says Christophe, who was ultimately number 13. Pasqualon.
Edvald Boisson-Hagen hung well in the field, doing an assist riding job for Peter Sagan at the end. He’s also noticed a heat wave rolling over large parts of Europe.
– There is nothing to recommend. I read on the internet that one should stay away and not stay active. It’s quite the opposite, but we drank a lot and had some snow on our necks. It helps, but it’s not so comfortable when it feels like riding a bike on glue because the asphalt is melting, he tells TV 2.
Other runners, such as Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jakobsen, failed to catch up with the finish. Kristoff seemed to be completely on steel as he swayed back and forth all the way on the tail, but the rogue descent was halted for the last 25km before the finish line.
The remainder of the field was further divided when transverse wind trends appeared in the last ten kilometres. This means that the Frenchman Benjamin Thomas managed to hold out in front, until there were only 500 meters left.
Jasper Philipsen was the strongest and won his first stage in the Tour de France, ahead of Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen.
Earlier on the stage, it became very dramatic when Jonas Weinggaard, in the yellow jersey, collided with his teammate, Tsge Bennott, and fell to the ground 60km from the stage.
By then, Jumbo-Visma had lost to Purimoz Roglic and Stephen Kreuzvik earlier in the day. The latter got down on the ground and was carried away in an ambulance, but what could look like a broken collarbone. The Danish Tour leader quickly got on the bike and back on the field, while his fellow Belgian spent more time.
Roglic had intended to take on the role of captain for the Dutch team at this year’s Tour de France, but his level was nowhere near matching his teammate and captain Weinggaard.
– In order for my injuries to heal properly, we decided I wouldn’t start today, Roglic said before the stage.
Several opponents tried to attack Small, but Vingegaard kept the yellow jersey in a relaxed manner, despite the fact that he went to the ground.
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