Belgian professional cyclist Jasper Philipsen has won his fourth stage of the 2023 Tour de France. Third in the mass sprint of the eleventh stage was Phil Bauhaus from Bocholt behind Dylan Groenewegen from the Netherlands.
On Wednesday (July 12th, 2023), Philipsen triumphed in a superior manner on the 180-kilometer section, which Clermont Ferrand after moulins led. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t even realize it yet”said Philipsen minutes after crossing the finish line, “I was glad to have found the Groenewegen rear wheel.”
“Philipsen is simply the fastest. You also have to acknowledge that you’re a bit worse than him.”, said Bauhaus, who finished on the podium for the third time at the 2023 Tour. The 28-year-old was second in Bayonne and third in Nogaro the next day.
Vingegaard stays 17 seconds ahead of Pogačar
The Dane Jonas Vingegaard remains the leader in the overall standings with a 17-second lead over his closest competitor, Tadej Pogačar from Slovenia.
Not even the biggest optimists would have expected that Philipsen would dominate the mass sprints in such a way. In addition to the 25-year-old, everything that has a name in the sprint is represented on the tour. Bauhaus was almost ideally positioned in the final, but the difference was once again made by Philipsen’s unbridled strength and tactical flair, who won by a large margin.
Trio far ahead, but without a chance
A trio pulled away six kilometers after the start on the outskirts of Clermont-Ferrand, where the entourage had also spent the rest day on Monday. Andrey Amador (Costa Rica), Daniel Oss (Italy) and Frenchman Matis Louvel quickly gained a lead of about three minutes. But they never had a real chance of getting to Moulins as a breakaway group.
Several teams took part in the follow-up work and gave the trio only one lead over many kilometers, which can be closed quickly. With about 50 kilometers to go, Amador and Louvel realized that it was hopeless.
Oss tried desperately as a soloist, and in the meantime, in heavy rain but pleasant temperatures, he even managed to gain a lead of 50 seconds. But it was clear that the sprinters would have the last word at Moulins.
Five mountain classifications on the twelfth stage
The twelfth stage of the tour on Thursday covers 169 kilometers from Roanne after Belleville en Beaujolais. There are five mountain classifications in the second and third category on the section.