Tour de France points classification leader Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) crashed in a roundabout in the final kilometre of stage 16 in what was one of the last opportunities for the sprinters in this year’s race.
Girmay’s lead in the green jersey competition fell to just 32 points as Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won his third stage of the race in Nîmes.
Before Tuesday’s stage, Girmay’s lead was a far more comfortable 96 points, but Philipsen beat him in the intermediate sprint to gain four points more than the Eritrean and claimed 50 points for the stage win.
There is only one more stage possible for the sprinters with a hilly stage 18 to Barcelonnette the final chance in a final week filled with soaring mountain finishes before the final time trial in Nice on Sunday.
Philipsen expressed his concern for Girmay after hearing about the crash and said he wasn’t sure he could overtake the points classification leader.
“He’s climbing really well. I just hope he’s OK after the crash, because he doesn’t deserve yet to lose like this,” Philipsen said.
Girmay finished the stage in 141st position with his teammates Hugo Page and Kobe Goossens ushering him across the line.
Following his podium obligations as leader of the green jersey competition, Girmay underwent examinations by the race’s medical team.
More to come.
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