Jasper Philipsen Claims Stage One Victory in Chaotic Tour de France

Lille, France – Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck won a frenetic opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, taking the first yellow jersey of his career. The 27-year-old Belgian sprinted to victory on the Boulevard Vauban, finishing ahead of Biniam Girmay of Intermarché Wanty and Søren Wærenskjold from Uno-X Mobility.

The stage was marked by strong crosswinds and multiple crashes as riders struggled to maintain contact with the peloton. Philipsen, with support from his teammates, navigated the chaos to secure his 10th stage win in the Tour over four years. “Ten wins is something I will never forget,” he said. “The team performance was incredible. We were in the front all day, we were there in the split, and in the end, we could use our strength to finish it off.”

Eighteen kilometers from Lille, strong crosswinds led to a crucial separation in the race. Key contenders, including 2022 and 2023 winner Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike and Tadej Pogacar from UAE Team Emirates XRG, moved to the front. “It was a stressful day, but a good day for us,” Vingegaard commented. “The team kept me out of trouble and they made the split as well.”

Meanwhile, Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step and Primoz Roglic from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe found themselves trailing significantly, having lost 39 seconds to the front group. “Thirty-nine seconds is a pain,” Evenepoel said. “It’s always annoying to start a Tour behind.”

The race took place through the Pas-de-Calais region, looping back toward Lille. An early breakaway of five riders lasted 70 kilometers before being caught at an intermediate sprint won by Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek. The excitement intensified as two French riders, Benjamin Thomas and Mattéo Vercher, crashed while contesting the climbing points on Mont Cassel.

Despite the chaos, Philipsen’s performance secured him both the yellow and green jerseys, setting the tone for the upcoming stages. The second stage will follow a similar route with challenging climbs expected to create further drama.