Jasper Philipsen sees 'a very difficult end' for sprinters in 2024 Tour de France

LEMARKSTEIN FRANCE JULY 22 Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team AlpecinDeceuninck celebrates at podium as Green points jersey winner during the stage twenty of the 110th Tour de France 2023 a 1335km stage from Belfort to Le Markstein 1192m UCIWT on July 22 2023 in Le Markstein France Photo by Michael SteeleGetty Images
Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck celebrates at podium as Green points jersey leader at 2023 Tour de France (Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Taking a haul of four stage victories and the coveted green sprinter’s jersey at the 2023 Tour de France, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was targeting a second points classification title in his young career next season. Once the official route was revealed on Wednesday, the Belgian sprinter pondered the parcours with few sprint opportunities and “a very difficult end”. 

In particular, Philipsen seemed struck by a challenging third week of the 2024 Tour de France, and what it would take to complete the race. For the first time in the history of the Tour, the traditional spotlight on the final day switched from the Champs Élysées for sprints to a time trial for GC contenders on the Mediterranean coast in Nice. It’s a plot with a twist.

Jackie Tyson
North American Production editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).