Tour de France: Wout van Aert hits out at Jasper Philipsen for 'crazy stunt' after relegation - 'A bad habit'
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Published 05/07/2024 at 08:41 GMT+1
Wout van Aert was not happy with fellow Belgian Jasper Philipsen after a dramatic bunch sprint at the end of Stage 6 at the Tour de France. Philipsen was relegated for an "irregular sprint" after initially finishing second, and Van Aert accused him of having a "bad habit" and pulling "one crazy stunt after another." Philipsen won the green jersey last year but is yet to claim a stage in 2024.
Stage 6 Highlights: Groenewegen wins as Pogacar survives crosswinds scare
Video credit: TNT Sports
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) criticised Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) for his “bad habit” of swerving to box in other riders, accusing the 2023 Tour de France green jersey winner of pulling “one crazy stunt after another.”
Both Belgians were in the mix in the bunch sprint finale on Stage 6 of the Tour de France on Thursday.
Philipsen was pipped to the line by Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUla) in a photo finish, but he was later relegated to 107th place for an “irregular sprint.”
Van Aert had some choice words for his compatriot at the end of the race after finishing sixth.
“I was once again boxed in by Jasper Philipsen in the sprint, everyone saw that. That is a bad habit of his,” Van Aert said.
"It wasn’t necessarily super dangerous, because I was just able to brake in time. But I sprinted up to his level, and I don't understand why he then swerved towards the barriers.
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'It's clear' - Why Philipsen was relegated on Stage 6
Video credit: TNT Sports
"That is not a professional way to 'close the door'. He must have sensed that I was next to him. But he did this last year in the Tour and now he is doing it again."
Van Aert called for Philipsen’s demotion before it was confirmed after the race.
"I'm especially glad that I stayed upright," Van Aert said. "But if there's no sanction, that would make me angry. They shouldn't throw him out of the Tour, but he should be declassified.
"Today you saw one crazy stunt after another in those last kilometres. If they don't punish that severely, everyone thinks that anything goes. It's an increasingly big problem."
- Philipsen relegated from second to 107th after 'irregular sprint' on Stage 6
- Groenewegen wins Stage 6 sprint as Philipsen relegated
- How to watch Stage 7 of the Tour on Friday as Evenepoel hunts Pogacar in time trial
It is not the first time that Philipsen’s sprinting has come in for scrutiny, and Adam Blythe said on The Breakaway that he could see the relegation coming before it was confirmed.
"Wout van Aert's body is all twisted because he didn't have enough room," Blythe said.
"And you look at where they started sprinting, there was more than enough room. I don't want to get anyone relegated but if you talk about 'holding your line', he's drifted ever so slightly."
London 2012 gold medallist Dani Rowe believed it was obvious Philipsen was at fault.
"For me, it's clear," she said. "You can see Wout van Aert having to come off the gas, come off the pedals, because he couldn't accelerate into the gap that he was going into."
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'Neck and neck!' - Groenewegen sneaks victory on Stage 6
Video credit: TNT Sports
You can watch every day of the 2024 Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+
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