Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen, racing for Alpecin-Deceuninck, claimed his fourth stage win at the 110th Tour de France during a Friday in heavy rain. He surged to victory on the eleventh stage, a route of over 180 kilometers from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins, despite the challenging weather conditions.
Unlike his previous wins where he relied on the support of teammate Mathieu van der Poel, this time Philipsen had to claim the win on his own, edging out the Dutch ace in a tense sprint. Dylan Groenewegen and Phil Bauhaus completed the podium in a sprint that sparked debate among fans and pundits alike.
The day proved difficult for sprinters, with only a few riders attempting isolated breaks. Andrey Amador, Daniel Oss and Matis Ouvel managed to push clear for a short while, but their gains proved fleeting as the peloton regrouped and reeled them back in.
As the race moved toward the intermediate sprint, Philipsen was fastest, and the leaders began to shrink their advantage with about 75 minutes remaining. The leading trio sat about thirty seconds ahead of the peloton for a period before Amador attempted to follow and Ouvel crashed, leaving Oss as the last rider ahead and trying to break free for a 30-second advantage once rain intensified.
The peloton closed the gap with 13 kilometers left, and the sprint train powered forward toward the finish. Philipsen, who had started from an unfavored position, rode through the final bustle to secure his fourth Tour stage win, an achievement that adds another chapter to his G.C. ambitions this edition of the Grande Boucle. Source notes mention the drama and competitive edge of the final kilometers, underscoring the unpredictable nature of racing in poor weather (credit: race observers and AFP reports).
In the overall standings, Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma continues to hold the lead, with Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates finishing the day in fourth and gaining 17 seconds on the gap. Carlos Rodríguez of INEOS Grenadiers and Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious rounded out the top five in the general classification, according to official stage results and ongoing analysis (sources: race updates and press notes).
The race calendar shows the 12th stage, a 169-kilometer ride from Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, as an early test for the contenders and a practical mid-mountain day for riders who excel in breakaways or undulating terrain. The Alps are anticipated to loom larger in the program starting Friday, as teams map out strategies for the mounting challenges ahead (event briefs and cycling press roundups).
General classification of the Tour de France
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Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen TJV 46:34:27
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Tadej Pogacar UAD +0:17
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Jai Hindley BOH +0:02:40
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Carlos Rodriguez IGD +0:04:22
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Peio Bilbao López de Armentia TBV +0:04:34
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Adam Yates IAD +0:04:39
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Simon Yates JAY +0:04:44
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Thomas Pidcock IGD +0:05:26
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David Gaudu GFC +0:06:01
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Sepp Kuss TJV +0:06:45
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Romain Bardet DSM +0:06:58
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Louis Meintjes ICW +0:08:50
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Emanuel Buchmann BOH +0:09:09
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Mikel Landa Meana TBV +0:09:09
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Thibaut Pinot GFC +0:09:36
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Felix Gall ACT +0:09:46
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Ben O’Connor ACT +0:11:07
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Guillaume Martin COF +0:11:12
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Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas IGD +0:16:33
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Valentin Madouas GFC +0:18:56