Jasper Philipsen won the fifteenth stage in the Tour de France on Sunday. On a bad day at Jumbo-Visma, the Belgian stayed ahead of his compatriot Wout van Aert in the bunch sprint.
The 24-year-old Philipsen made the cheering gesture for the second time in this Tour. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter also crossed the finish line in the fourth stage, but then he had overlooked stage winner Van Aert – who had escaped from the peloton.
In the fifteenth stage, Philipsen kept Van Aert behind, while Mads Pedersen finished third. Danny van Poppel was the best Dutchman in fifth place and Dylan Groenewegen had to settle for sixth place. Fabio Jakobsen fell behind on the second climb of the day and was unable to return.
Jumbo-Visma had a really bad day. Leader Primoz Roglic did not start due to previous injuries and Steven Kruijswijk crashed hard during the stage, which forced him to retire. Jersey wearer Jonas Vingegaard also crashed, but he did make it to the finish.
There were no shifts in the top of the general classification. Jumbo-Visma leader Vingegaard is still 2 minutes and 22 seconds ahead of number two Tadej Pogacar.
Kruijswijk has to give up after a crash
Without the battered Roglic, the peloton started the fifteenth stage at a temperature well above 30 degrees, which is 202.5 kilometers from Rodez to Carcassonne. On the way two climbs of the third category had to be conquered.
Shortly after the start, Van Aert, Nils Politt and Mikkel Frølich Honoré attacked. The trio quickly took a two-minute lead, but Van Aert then dropped back. Politt and Honoré continued the race, but failed to widen the gap and were caught over 50 kilometers from the finish.
Just before that, Kruijswijk had fallen hard. While sitting on the asphalt, the Dutchman grabbed his shoulder and was taken to hospital on a stretcher a little later. Shortly afterwards Vingegaard also crashed, but he was able to continue.
Groenewegen temporarily lagging behind
On the Côte des Cammazes, the second col of the day, the sprinters Jakobsen, Groenewegen, Caleb Ewan and Alexander Kristoff all had to release. Groenewegen was more than a minute behind at the top, but returned to the peloton with the help of his teammates 30 kilometers from the finish. Jakobsen and Ewan were unable to return.
Meanwhile, the French Alexis Gougeard and Benjamin Thomas had pulled away from the pack and had taken a half-minute lead. The French held out for a long time, but Gougeard was caught a few kilometers from the finish and the brave Thomas shortly before the finish.
Then a bunch sprint brought the decision in the streets of Carcassonne. Philipsen kept Van Aert just behind him, while Groenewegen was not involved.