Those who know him well confirm this. Javier Guillen, the director of the Vuelta, wouldn’t have staged a sprint or a time trial in the Spanish round unless it served a bigger plan. He stands among the architects shaping a shift in cycling that has drawn attention in recent years, a trend not mirrored by the Giro, which has felt a bit dull this season. The Tour, a master at controlling the narrative on Spanish roads, took note of Spain’s evolving dynamics and moved to curb mass arrivals, even reshaping climbs like the more controversial stage at Tourmalet, a change that once seemed unlikely.
Sprinters face a gradual threat to their traditional dominance. It’s unlikely they’ll disappear like ancient species, but a 21-stage race forces crashes of momentum: the favorites cannot be crushed day after day, and they must endure stages such as this one early in the race to recover from the explosive start in Euskadi. The third stage, while tracing routes within the Basque Country, proceeded southward and concluded in a city celebrated for Basque culture and renowned for its ham and chocolate.
That’s the moment sprinters in red were watching closely, because the reality is that if they’re loaded with form, there isn’t much time to ink out targets that can be reached. If generosity counts, four sprints and a touch more await the speed enthusiasts.
And yet the roster of sprinters who joined the Tour remains strong. Even with limited opportunities, no rider wants to miss them, since top sprinters command serious value: Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen, Phil Bauhaus, Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay, Caleb Ewan, and two veterans who have stepped back this year, Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan, each carrying a long legacy into the season.
⏪ Relive the intense final kilometer of the initial sprint phase of the race #TDF2023. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck takes the win. [Citation: Tour de France official feed]
⏪ Relive the last kilometer of the first sprint stage #TDF2023 with Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck striking the lead. [Citation: Tour de France official feed]
—Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 3, 2023
Victory in Bayonne came with a clear signal: a stage that offered little to disrupt the status quo, yet delivered a clean sprint under sunny skies after two damp days. The Belgian rider carried an edge, a driver that keeps him ahead in the final push. Philipsen has a partner in crime in Mathieu van der Poel, and the teamwork on show was as precise as a well-timed attack—like a forward pass from a world-class playmaker.
Van der Poel did not falter as the race pressed forward; after some early quiet days in the Basque Country, he chose to take decisive action in the closing moments, leveraging the power of his teammate and ignoring the usual dangers that such stages present. The result looked almost choreographed, with Philipsen propelled toward victory. The day hinted at Nogaro-like arrivals and the influence of the training environments where riders prepare, the places where Luis Ocana once trained to find a late surge when the moment called for it.