Islamabad (Sports Desk) Jasper Philipsen stormed to victory in a reduced bunch sprint on the opening stage of the Tour de France, securing his 10th career stage win and claiming the coveted yellow jersey. The Belgian outpaced Eritreaās Biniam Girmay and Norwayās Soren Waerenskjold in a powerful finish, while Denmarkās Jonas Vingegaard and defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia crossed the line safely in the leading group.
The day, however, spelled trouble for other top contenders. Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic lost crucial time, finishing 39 seconds behind after being caught out by a sharp surge from Vingegaardās Visma-Lease a Bike team 17km from the finish. On narrow, wind-battered roads, Pogacar stayed vigilant to avoid the split, but Evenepoel and Roglic were left chasing.
Earlier, the stage was marred by crashes and withdrawals. Italyās Filippo Ganna became the first rider to abandon this yearās race, quickly followed by Switzerlandās Stefan Bissegger, both time-trial specialists forced out due to falls.
Vingegaardās aggressive tactics signaled intent right from day one, setting the stage for fierce battles ahead as Philipsen starts the Tour in yellow, poised for more sprint opportunities.
