Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen of Team Alpecin-Deceuninck claimed victory in the 16th stage of the 2024 Tour de France on July 16, marking his third stage win in this year’s race. The 188.6-kilometer flat stage from Gruissan to Nîmes concluded with a dramatic sprint finish, where Philipsen outpaced Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X).The stage was marred by a crash involving Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), the current green jersey holder, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the finish line. Despite the fall, Girmay managed to complete the stage but was unable to contest the final sprint. This incident allowed Philipsen to gain ground in the points classification, reducing Girmay’s lead to just 32 points.In the general classification, there were no significant changes. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) retained the yellow jersey, maintaining a lead of three minutes and nine seconds over Jonas Vingegaard, with Remco Evenepoel more than five minutes behind.Philipsen expressed his delight with the team’s performance, stating, ‘I’m really happy after such a team effort. It’s always nice when you can win together and that’s what we did today, definitely.’ He also conveyed his concern for Girmay’s wellbeing following the crash.The Tour de France now heads into its final week, with the next stage presenting a challenging mountain route in the Alps. This transition marks the last opportunity for sprinters in this year’s race, as the remaining stages are expected to favor climbers and general classification contenders.
Key points
- Jasper Philipsen won his third stage of the 2024 Tour de France in a sprint finish.
- Biniam Girmay, the green jersey holder, crashed 1.
- Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead in the general classification.
- The Tour now moves to challenging mountain stages in the Alps.
5km from the finish, impacting the points classification.
