Philipsen wins narrow Sprint - two Germans in Top 5
After a turbulent stage of the Tour de France, where Mark Cavendish fell out early, an impressive sprint takes place in Pau. Despite being well-positioned with three-time winner Biniam Girmay and his team, Jasper Philipsen ultimately wins.
Pascal Ackermann bit his teeth together, leaned forward on his bike almost despairingly - once again, it wasn't enough for the victory. Instead, the Palmeiras rider finished third on the 13th stage of the Tour de France for the third time. The Belgian Jasper Philipsen won the sprint in Pau convincingly over his fellow countryman Wout van Aert. Nikias Arndt surprisingly finished fifth.
Tadej Pogacar defended the overall lead once again. The Slovenian is 1:06 minutes ahead of Belgium's Time Trial World Champion Remco Evenepoel. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark is 1:14 minutes behind in third place. The trio rode calmly on the lead group. When the field tore apart through a wind gust just twelve kilometers after the start, the top riders were present - including Ackermann. However, the adventure was already over after eight kilometers, as several teams caught up. Despite several wind gusts, a sprint was still expected in the end.
Roglic out
For the German Red Bull Team, it's all about stage wins since Friday morning. Captain and overall hope Primoz Roglic had to face the consequences of his fall from the previous day and abandon the race. According to Sport Director Rolf Aldag, he suffered no head injuries or fractures. "The impact on the body is so great that it makes no sense to continue," Aldag said after Roglic's two crashes.
Looking towards the rest of the season, team boss Ralph Denk, Aldag, and Roglic will discuss what is still possible this year. An option could be a participation in the Vuelta a España, as well as the World Championships in Zurich for the 34-year-old.
Kämna leaves Red Bull
For the next year, the team must plan without one of its billboards. Lennard Kämna will leave Red Bull after five years. Team boss Ralph Denk confirmed this in a podcast from OVB Media. According to the regulations, the new team of the Tour de France stage winner can only be announced from August 1st onwards. Speculation suggests that Kämna is joining Lidl-Trek. After Emanuel Buchmann, the roundabout specialist is the next notable departure.
"He will leave the team at the end of the year. That makes me a little sad," Denk said. "He has made his decision. We will support him until the end." Denk also hopes that Kämna can still wear the team jersey one more time and have a worthy farewell.
Kämna collided with a car in the training camp on Tenerife in April and sustained severe thoracic trauma with rib fractures and a lung contusion. The 27-year-old is now back on the bike and training.
Climbing tests in the PyreneesAt the weekend, there had to be another exchange of blows between the Tour favorites. In the Pyrenees, there are two mountain finishes scheduled in a row. On Saturday, it goes over the mystical Col du Tourmalet, before the stage ends in Pla d'Adet. The following day, the finale to the Plateau de Beille, with a total length of 15.8 kilometers, is even more challenging. A total of 4800 meters of altitude must be overcome.
In light of his teammate Primoz Roglic's withdrawal due to crashes in the prior stage, Pascal Ackermann remains determined to secure a stage win in the Tour de France, echoing his third-place finish in Pau during the 13th stage. Despite being a devoted supporter of Biniam Girmay and his team during the Tour de France's challenging stages, cycling enthusiasts were left in awe as Jasper Philipsen clinched another sprint victory, outpacing competitor Wout van Aert.
