Philipsen lives his dream after Tour hat-trick: "From here, the goal is to take the green to Paris"

"We couldn't be prouder of our team performance. Without them, I could never have achieved my third stage win. I am very proud of how we work together and how we find each other in the finale every time. We do everything we can and it leads to success. I am super happy," Philipsen says about another great lead-out by his team.

The blue formation reappeared at exactly the right time, allowing Philipsen to ride freely towards the front. "We were well grouped in the last three kilometers, with Søren (Kragh Andersen) doing a great job. Then I still had Jonas (Rickaert) and Mathieu (van der Poel, ed.). I was always following in the right wheel, so I never had to make an effort before sprinting. That's how we win."

Now that he has bagged three stage wins, the logical question now is: what's next? "If you had told me this a week ago, I would have called you crazy. So far, it's been a dream Tour, and we keep on going. Hopefully, there will be one more, but I'm also looking forward to Paris," says Philipsen, who now has a firm grip on the green points jersey. "From here, the goal is to take this jersey to Paris, but we have only completed one week. There is still a tough Tour ahead, and for now, I'm enjoying the moment."

And that's a good thing because winning in the sprint is not a walk in the park. For example, on day seven, Mark Cavendish from Astana Qazaqstan showed he had strong legs, but finished second. Thus, he didn't (yet) break Eddy Merckx's record. "He was very strong, and I would have liked to see him win, like everyone else. He will keep trying, and he's in good condition. It will be tough," Philipsen praises his sprinting colleague.