Second at third stage of the tour
Phil Bauhaus races just past the sensation
07/03/2023, 6:15 p.m
Before the sprint on the third stage of the Tour de France, Phil Bauhaus hardly has any chances. The 28-year-old from Bocholt is still a hope for a sprint, but then he finds the right position in the sprint. Only one is faster in the end.
Phil Bauhaus pedaled with the last of his strength and pushed his racing machine towards the finish line, but the big coup didn’t materialize. The Bocholter Tour debutant missed his first stage win in the Tour de France by a hair’s breadth. Instead, the Belgian Jasper Philipsen cheered at the first big sprint arrival of the 110th Tour of France on Monday. Philipsen, who had already won two stages last year, had more stamina on the third stage after 193.5 kilometers from Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne, third was the Australian Caleb Ewan.
But what a courageous performance Bauhaus delivered between all the sprint stars. “For two or three seconds I believed that it could work. But in the end Philipsen was simply stronger. Second place is nice, but in the end you just want to win,” said Bauhaus.
Only at the last minute did the 28-year-old get his tour ticket in the Bahrain-Victorious team, which had just come to terms with the tragic death of Swiss Gino Mäder at the Tour de Suisse. All for girls was the motto of the team. Bauhaus himself reported that he shed bitter tears after the death of his teammate. Mäder fell into a gorge during the Tour de Suisse in mid-June and died a day later.
Philipsen are already in shape with the classics
The sprinter day had no effect on the overall standings. Two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar paused in his pursuit of every bonus second and remains second, six seconds off teammate and opening winner Adam Yates. In the first two days, the Slovenian gained a total of 11 seconds over Danish champion Jonas Vingegaard. The best German in the overall classification remains the former tour fourth Emanuel Buchmann.
In Bayonne, however, it was the sprinters’ turn, led by Philipsen. The 25-year-old had already won two stages of the Tour last year, including the prestigious sprint on the Champs Élysées in Paris. In doing so, he underscored his claim of wanting to be the best sprinter in the world.
Since its successful tour in 2022, Philipsen has continued to develop. He also played a role in the classics that year, even finishing second at Paris-Roubaix – behind teammate Mathieu van der Poel.
Security concerns in France
When returning to France, the tour entourage was also accompanied by security concerns, especially since there have been riots in France’s metropolises for days after the death of a 17-year-old during a police check. “We are working closely with the authorities. I speak to the Ministry of the Interior morning, noon and evening. We remain focused and vigilant,” said Pierre-Yves Thouault, Vice-Director of the race. It’s good for the tour that Bordeaux, a major French city, will not be headed for until next Friday.
How vulnerable the tour is was shown on Sunday when strangers apparently distributed tacks on the street. Numerous professional cyclists had to change their wheels about 20 kilometers from the finish line due to punctures. Three drivers from the German Bora-hansgrohe racing team were also affected. On Monday, too, there was a striking number of punctures. The reason for this was initially unknown.
The sprinters can hope for a mass finish again on Tuesday when the fourth stage over 181.8 kilometers from Dax to Nogaro finishes at the Paul Armagnac motorsport race track. 800 meters it goes straight ahead slightly uphill at the end.