Tour de France: Bauhaus third at the next Philipsen show
DPA
· 04.07.2023
Phil Bauhaus was unable to close the gap in the high-speed final, but the untouchable Jasper Philipsen triumphed in the sprint royale on the Nogaro racetrack.
Stage 4 of the Tour de France 2023: Philipsen wins ahead of Ewan
The Belgian also won the fourth stage of the 110th Tour de France by a wafer-thin margin ahead of the Australian Caleb Ewan and Bauhaus. However, the 28-year-old from Bocholt had no chance of winning, but after finishing second the day before, he once again made the most of it. There were three crashes in the final metres, all of which appeared to be without serious consequences.
"It was a very easy stage, everyone wanted to take it easy for the Pyrenees. There were a few crashes, I hope everyone is okay. It was very hectic. I had cramps at the end," said Philipsen. The 25-year-old - nicknamed Jasper Desaster - is in a class of his own in the fast finals and had already won on Monday.
Mark Cavendish, who finished fifth, is also still in the waiting loop. The superstar is on the hunt for his 35th stage win, which would put him ahead of Eddy Merckx, the joint record holder to date. Cavendish will now have to wait until Friday, when the sprinters will have their next chance after the Pyrenees detour in Bordeaux.
Quiet day for the classification riders
As expected, there was no change at the top of the overall standings. Britain's Adam Yates successfully defended the yellow jersey he won at the start in Bilbao. Directly behind the UAE pro, six seconds behind, is his captain Tadej Pogacar, who is on the same time as Yates' twin Simon. Emanuel Buchmann maintained his place in the top 20 on what was a quiet day for classification riders.
Before the two days in the Pyrenees, it was clear that the sprinters did not want to miss out on the chance to race on the Circuit Paul Armagnac. "It's the first time I've ridden on a race track. I'll be highly focussed in the sprint," said Bauhaus before the start. This is the Bocholter's first Tour de France and his clear goal is to win a stage. Two strong performances should give him the self-confidence that is so important for a sprinter, so that it can even work out with a victory.
Difficult sprint on stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France
The expected outcome of the stage obviously discouraged the escapees. There were a few tentative attacks, but it was only after 100 kilometres that the French riders Anthony Delaplace and Benoit Cosnefroy managed to break away. This escape came to an end 25 kilometres before the finish when the sprinter teams took command. The peloton rode around 2.5 kilometres of the 3.6-kilometre-long race route in the finale, with several 180-degree bends making the sprint preparation tricky.
Three crashes in the final phase
At the end, however, a 750 metre long straight awaited, with only a minimal ascent. The chase on the nine metre wide road was overshadowed by three crashes. One of the favourites, European champion Fabio Jakobsen, crashed, followed by two more crashes, all of which were apparently minor. Bauhaus escaped unscathed, but in the end there was a fairly large gap to Philipsen.
The first endurance test in the Pyrenees awaits on Wednesday. On the 162.7 kilometres from Pau to Laruns, the peloton will be spared a mountain finish. Nevertheless, the Col de Soudet (highest category) and the Col de Marie Blanque (first category) are two tough climbs to tackle. There are still 18.5 kilometres to go from Marie Blanque to the finish.
Meanwhile, the organisers have raised the safety standards for the two Alpine stages. The tarmac has been resurfaced on sections 14 and 17, which end with a descent, and warning sounds alert the riders to bends. Padded barriers are also to be erected in the most dangerous bends. Video footage of the descents will be made available to the teams.
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