Cycling: A mass sprint is expected at the Tour de France tomorrow. The 16th stage takes the professionals to Nimes, where the sprinters will have their last chance.
Velomotion forecast: Philipsen clarifies
The 188,6-kilometer stage from Gruissan to Nîmes will end in a mass sprint. There's no doubt about that, even though the sprinters' teams and the sprinters themselves will certainly be very tired after the mountain stages. After this 16th stage, there will be no further opportunity for them. Because of the Olympic Games, the Tour de France doesn't finish in Paris this year, but with a time trial in Nice. After tomorrow's stage, many sprinters will therefore have no reason to even finish the Tour. Tomorrow, however, everything is on the line for them, and therefore a breakaway victory is virtually impossible. The sprint will then reveal who has coped best with the tough mountain stages. We're betting on Jasper Philipsen, who has demonstrably performed well over three weeks and wants to make it clear with his third victory that he is still the best sprinter in the world.
* * * Jasper Phillipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck)
** Biniam Girmay (Intermarché – Wanty), Arnaud de Lie (Lotto – Dstny)
* wout van aert (Visma – Lease a Bike), Pascal Ackermann (Israel – Premier Tech), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco – AlUla)