JASPER Philipsen finally broke through at the Tour de France, winning Stage 17 on Wednesday (Thursday, July 23, 2026, PH time) after a superb lead-out from teammate Mathieu van der Poel, while defending champion Tadej Pogacar safely protected his commanding overall lead.
According to an Associated Press report, Van der Poel controlled the pace and neutralized late attacks before delivering Philipsen into the final sprint of the 174.7-kilometer stage from Chambery to Voiron.
The Belgian edged Mauro Schmid and Olav Kooij to claim his first stage victory of this year’s Tour after a frustrating start to the race.
The Belgian admitted he entered the Tour in peak condition but struggled to find his rhythm during the opening two weeks.
“I prepared very, very well. I was in the shape of my life, I think, and the first stages, the first 12 days were just horrible. I couldn’t find myself, couldn’t find the feeling I was hoping for,” Philipsen said, thanking his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammates for standing by him.
“I was like an angry bird at the table. I was just disappointed in myself, angry that I couldn’t take a stage win, that I didn’t find my feeling. And the team, they had to deal with it... This one is for them to keep on believing,” he added.
Pogacar, chasing a third consecutive Tour title and fifth overall, retained his overall advantage of more than four and a half minutes over Belgian rival Remco Evenepoel, who won the previous two stages.
The day, however, proved difficult for UAE Emirates XRG rider Adam Yates. The British cyclist struggled through the stage and barely finished within the time limit after visibly fading in the closing kilometers.
The relatively flat route offered one of the final opportunities for the sprinters before the race heads into the Alps, triggering numerous breakaway attempts.
Mads Pedersen animated the race with an attack about 65 kilometers from the finish, while a 30-man lead group eventually formed before Jasper Stuyven launched a solo move with 26 kilometers remaining.
Stuyven stayed clear until he was reeled in with less than four kilometers left, allowing Van der Poel to set up Philipsen for the winning sprint. / LBG
