They’ve had to wait a long time for it, but
the sprinters at the Tour de France will finally get their chance on Day 5. On Wednesday in Pau, the fastest riders on the start list will face
their first flat finish. They spoke in front of IDL Pro Cycling, before and after Stage 4, about their hopes for stage 5.
Since the first three days were geared toward the general classification contenders and Stage 4 turned into a battle for the breakaway, the sprinters at the Tour de France had to wait more than half a week for their first chance. In sweltering conditions in Catalonia and the south west of France, things went as well as could be expected for
Tim Merlier.
"The most important thing was to get water and ice; it's a matter of surviving the heat," said the Belgian, who is the designated sprinter for Soudal Quick-Step. "But I’m ready for the first sprint. I’m just riding at my usual power output. In the Giro d’Italia three years ago, we also had to wait a bit. In those first few days, you just have to make it to the finish; the biggest concern then is ice and water, haha."
Continue reading below the photo
Kooij was overshadowed by Paul Seixas
For Kooij, the first few days of the Tour de France were all about survival, but at Decathlon, with Paul Seixas, there was of course also
something to ride for. “It’s nice to get through days like these, when everyone’s struggling, with that stage in the back of my mind. They aren’t unpleasant days for me, but they are tough. But that’s the case for everyone,” said the Dutchman.
Kooij looked very relaxed and didn’t seem to have any trouble finishing cleanly in the early stages. “It’s just a matter of getting through the days, riding in a large group. There are guys there with the same goals. I don’t see myself as the top favorite for Wednesday—there are always more contenders in the sprint. So many things can happen, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Kooij didn’t see it as a problem that Decathlon was riding for Seixas in the early stages. “It’s going pretty naturally. There are certain days when it’s important for Paul, and on those days we give him our full support. And there are days when we play my card. I’m not necessarily nervous about that; so far, the Tour doesn’t feel any different from other races. I feel good—that’s the most important thing.”
Continue reading below the photo
Philipsen scored some points, but had hoped for more
Unlike Merlier and Kooij,
Jasper Philipsen didn’t take it easy on Stage 4. The Belgian joined the day’s breakaway in order to pick up some points at the intermediate sprint.
Biniam Girmay claimed all 25 points for NSN, while Philipsen earned 20. This move put him in the top ten of the points classification, with 30 points to his name so far.
With Wednesday’s sprint stage in mind, Girmay dropped back immediately after the intermediate sprint, while Philipsen hesitated for a moment. Because: “We wanted to try to get Jasper over that second-category climb. There were still points up for grabs for the top 15 riders in the day’s standings,” said team director Gianni Meersman on
Sporza.
Philipsen therefore had to pick up the pace again, but—after briefly easing off following the intermediate sprint—he never managed to catch up to the leading group. And so Alpecin-Premier Tech could only watch helplessly as Pedersen not only earned 16 points along the way but also took the full prize at the finish. With that, the Dane from Lidl-Trek is now the leader in the green jersey classification.
Continue reading below the photo
Girmay dropped back after securing the full points at the intermediate sprint
So Girmay didn't hesitate and saved his legs right after the intermediate sprint. The Eritrean rider from NSN has already racked up 39 points and looks like a very dangerous contender for Stage 5, now that public opinion seems to be shifting more toward Merlier, Kooij, and Philipsen. The African rider is a very strong climber and may have had to exert himself less than others.
Girmay also seems to be handling the heat well, so the NSN team was optimistic about the upcoming sprint opportunity after Stage 4. Team manager Dror Pekatch said, “We’ll see on Wednesday; Biniam is ready. We have nothing to fear from anyone.”