Jasper Philipsen Triumphs in Tour de France 10th Stage

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen secured his first victory in this year's Tour de France by winning the 10th stage with a perfect sprint. Guided by teammate Mathieu van der Poel, Philipsen outpaced Eritrean Biniam Girmay and German Pascal Ackermann. Tadej Pogacar retained the overall lead, gearing up for a challenging mountain stage.

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen finally claimed victory in this year's Tour de France by winning the 10th stage on Tuesday with a textbook sprint. Philipsen, who previously clinched four stages in last year's race, benefited from a flawless lead-out by Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate and world champion Mathieu van der Poel. The win came after a 187.3-km (116 miles) journey from Orleans.

Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay, already a two-stage winner this edition, took second place, while German Pascal Ackermann finished third. Slovenian Tadej Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after a relatively uneventful day, as the peloton prepares for a challenging mountain stage in the Massif Central on Wednesday.

The peloton remained compact throughout the day despite a few rain showers and remained quiet following Monday's rest day. The final five kilometres saw increased action as sprinters' teams sought optimal positioning, with Alpecin-Deceuninck leading the charge.

Van der Poel set a blistering pace with 300 metres remaining, enabling Philipsen to finish comfortably for his seventh career win in the Tour. The victory was a significant morale booster for the 26-year-old, whose best result had been a second place since the start in Florence.

Philipsen expressed relief and confidence post-race. "We came to the Tour de France with a strong leadout train, and it paid off today. Now that the mark is checked, we can continue the Tour with more confidence," he said. Praising Van der Poel's role, he added, "Mathieu is incredibly strong. When he shows his power, few riders can match him. It's fantastic to have the world champion as your lead-out guy."

Despite his success, Philipsen didn't gain much ground in the points classification, with Girmay still in control with 267 points compared to Philipsen's 195.

(With inputs from agencies.)