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Belgium's Jasper Philipsen sprinted to his third stage victory at the 2024 Tour de France after a dramatic late crash involving Biniam Girmay on stage 16. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider surged ahead in the final stretch in Nimes, showcasing his sprinting prowess.
Philipsen's team dominated the closing stages, setting a perfect pace for the 26-year-old to break clear to the finish line. Unfortunately, Eritrean rider Girmay could not contest the sprint after a fall inside the final kilometer. This crash allowed Philipsen to reduce Girmay's lead in the green jersey competition to just 32 points.
Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish, who recently broke the Tour stage wins record, finished in 17th position. This marked the final sprint stage of his Tour de France career before the race heads into the mountains for its conclusion.
Tadej Pogacar retained his yellow jersey, maintaining his lead of three minutes and nine seconds over two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel remains in third position, five minutes and nine seconds off the overall lead.
Stage 16, relatively uneventful, seemed destined for a bunch sprint. The only significant action came from a solo attack by Total Energies' Thomas Gachignard. The 23-year-old Frenchman was eventually caught with 25 kilometers remaining, setting the stage for a thrilling sprint finish.
As Alpecin-Deceuninck increased the tempo, Girmay's unfortunate crash left Philipsen unchallenged, adding to his victories on stages 10 and 13. Girmay, who made history as the first black African to win a Tour de France stage on stage three, was escorted to the finish by his Intermarche-Wanty teammates. He now faces the challenge of recovering quickly as Philipsen closes in on the green jersey, which seemed out of reach before the Tour's final week.
Reflecting on his win, Philipsen said, "I was feeling good. I had a good rest day and I feel like my shape has improved during this Tour de France. Every stage win is really hard to get, we can be proud." On the points competition, he added, "Everything is possible, but Biniam is climbing really well. I just hope he's fine because he doesn't deserve to lose like this."
Stage 17 on Wednesday is a 177.8km mountain stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy in the southern Alps, promising more excitement and challenges for the riders.
