Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen pips Wout van Aert to Stage 15 win in thrilling sprint finish on day of drama

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Fenix) sprinted to victory on Stage 15 of the Tour de France, finishing just ahead of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in Carcassonne.

Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo) was also involved in the huge run to the line and made up the podium in third. The Danish rider had the best lead-out, and was in front almost to the line. He looked to be about to double his stage wins for the weekend, before being pipped by the onrushing Belgians to his right and left.

Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), the sole survivor from a second two-man break of the day, rode alone from 5km, but was heartbreakingly reeled with 500m to go as one man proved no match for many. On one of the few true days for the sprinters at this year’s Tour de France, they were not going to turn down the chance of taking a rare victory.

In keeping with the tone of this year’s Tour, what had looked like being the most predictable, pedestrian day had a dramatic beginning.

Even less predictably, it was the green jersey of Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) who lit the race up. At the drop of the race director’s flag, on the relatively temperate roads of Rodez, the double stage winner launched off the front of the peloton. His movement was enough encouragement for Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Mikkel Honore to roll their own die on the breakaway’s chances. The trio of strong riders quickly formed an alliance and were soon motoring more than a minute up the road.

BikeExchange Jayco was the team least willing to allow the three to get out of sight. The Australian outfit put Chris Juul-Jensen to work and he stamped out a hard tempo at the front for the first 40km. That put none other than Michael Morkov (QuickStep – AlphaVinyl) under pressure. Fabio Jakobsen’s lead-out man was off the back and evidently unwell.

As quickly as Van Aert had fired himself into the break, he changed his mind about his plan for the day. After barely 45 minutes, with things beginning to settle down, the Belgian sat up and drifted back to the bunch. Three riders were unlikely to stay out all day, so he was better off protecting his team’s other interests and saving himself for an almost certain sprint.

For almost the next 100km the race settled into a rapid but regular rhythm. Politt and Honore kept pushing, while the bunch held the pair at a sensible distance.

A moment of misfortune for Owain Doull (EF Education EasyPost) was the beginning of an entirely different race. At 74km to go, the Welsh rider fell victim to a loose bidon, and went down hard, though he was able to get back on.

Then 10km further on, on a shady section that had a minute before been cleared of protesters, a worse accident befell Steven Kruijswijk. The Jumbo Visma rider went down hard, clutching his shoulder and became the second Jumbo Visma climber to abandon the race in the space of just a few hours.

The team were hit by bad luck again, less than ten minutes later. This time the yellow jersey of Jonas Vinegaard himself was involved. Fortunately he was able to continue, though scuff marks on his left showed that he too had hit the deck.

The race rolled on towards the final climb. Though a relatively gentle gradient, it was long and hard enough to present an opportunity for Trek-Segafredo. Giulio Ciccone drove hard onto the Côte des Cammazes, before handing over to Bauke Mollema and finally Quinn Simmons.

It was enough to end Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jakobsen’s hopes of a stage win. Dylan Groenewegen too was distanced, but the Dutchman kept his team with him and his hopes alive.

Over the top two Frenchman, Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) and Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels – KTM) clipped away.

46km remaining and the race became a team time trial of sorts. Trek worked to keep the groups apart, with help from DSM, while Michael Matthews laid it all on the line to bring them back together. BikeExchange were able to complete the job and return their sprinter to the bunch.

Still, as Gougeard and Thomas holding onto a 30 second advantage, a bunch finish was not guaranteed. The terrain helped them, downhill and fast, before flattening out with 10km remaining.

Only with 5km left did Thomas dispense with Gougeard, with some questionable help from a TV motorbike. Tongue hanging out, he cornered fast, and left it all out on the road, but it was not to be.

Outnumbered by the remaining sprinter’s teams, he was caught 500m from the line.

Jasper Steuyven (Trek-Segafredo) leds out for Pedersen who was forced to sprint first and longest, desperately fighting off the onrushing Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) on his right, and Philipsen to his left. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was well positioned in 5th place, 500 metres going into the final turn. Straightening up, he had clear air to ride into, opened it open and hurled his bike at the line.

“I know what losing is like in the Tour de France,” said a visibly emotional Philipsen afterwards. “It worked out today and it’s incredible…”

“It’s been a massive search for this victory,” he went on. “We worked really hard for it and I’m super proud we could finish it off. Everybody still believed it was possible. I knew I had good legs. We just had to wait for the right opportunity and the right moment.”

In the General Classification, everyone made it home safely, and there were no splits. Jonas Vinegaard (Jumbo Visma) goes into the rest day with a lead of 2’22 over Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

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