From Jasper the Disaster to Jasper the Master: Jasper Philipsen, renowned for his giddiness, showed that he was perhaps the best sprinter of the moment by winning the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday in Bayonne by a comfortable margin.
The 25-year-old Belgian, whose nickname “The Disaster” was popularized by the Netflix series on the Grande Boucle, gave no chance to the other “big thighs” to sign his third victory in the most great race in the world.
The only time the rider from Alpecin trembled was when the race marshals decided to view the images to check if he had not deviated from his route when he slightly packed his compatriot Wout Van Aert in barriers.
There followed a few minutes of hesitation where Philipsen, like a student awaiting the results of the baccalaureate, anxiously scrutinized the images on a small television screen in the protocol area in the company of… Tadej Pogacar, with whom he is very good friends.
“I knew the right side was the most direct. When you are in the lead, you try to take the shortest path”, he justified later, acknowledging that the limit was “thin”.
” It’s shame “
At the green light from the marshals, he jumped up to head for the podium and celebrate the first victory of the Tour 2023 on French soil, rallying at a senator’s pace after two hectic days in the Spanish Basque Country.
With this seventh victory of the season, the Belgian confirms that he is perhaps the best sprinter in the world. A sweet revenge for a runner who has long lacked self-confidence.
His hesitations, his oversights and his blunders served as a framework for the Netflix teams to camp in their series a character with very muscular thighs, but ultimately fragile.
With the high point of this famous scene where he crossed the finish line in Calais on the Tour de France 2022 with his arms crossed and screaming with joy, believing he had won. Only to find a few seconds later that it was in fact the escaped Wout Van Aert – who else? — who had crossed the line before him by mimicking an albatross.
“It’s shame,” he then whispered to his girlfriend.
The Belgian erased the affront by winning twice on the Tour, including the royal sprint on the Champs-Élysées.
Monday in Bayonne he drove the point home, ideally launched by an overpowered Mathieu van der Poel, to well ahead of the German Phil Bauhaus and the Australian Caleb Ewan.
Timed at 72.1 km/h
“It’s not easy to stay in Mathieu’s wheel. When you see the other trains unable to pass, it means that it is going very fast, ”said Philipsen, clocked at 72.1 km / h in the final straight.
Rightly, he insisted on the invaluable contribution of his leader. Having the winner of Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo as pilot fish is a luxury that can be enjoyed.
But, and it shows like the nose in the face, Philipsen has also gained confidence and he feels very strong. Stronger on Monday than his main rivals, the Dutch Fabio Jakobsen (4e) and Dylan Groenewegen (8e).
More so than Wout Van Aert (5e), “much more relaxed” after this new failure than the day before when he hit his handlebars in rage after finishing second behind Victor Lafay.
As for Mark Cavendish (6e), he missed a first opportunity to beat the record for victories in the Tour de France that he holds with the great Eddy Merckx (34 successes).
The Briton will be able to try his luck again on Tuesday during the fourth stage which also promises to arrive in a sprint on the Nogaro racing circuit.
But Jasper Philipsen will still lurk around and he won’t give presents.