andrey amador tour de france 2023

Andrey Amador Led Stage 11 of the TdF Today. You Will Not Believe the Odds He Overcame to Get Here.

In 2011 the Costa Rican rider was severely beaten, robbed, and left for dead. He has recovered in a big way.

Early in stage 11 of the Tour de France, Andrey Amador (EF Education–EasyPost) was in the breakaway group and then leading the race with Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) and Matis Louvel (Arkéa–Samsic). And while he didn’t make it to a podium today, just seeing him at the front is impressive.

In early 2011, the Costa Rican rider was involved in a brutal robbery and assault while on a training ride in his home country, which resulted in significant injuries. He was left for dead, unconscious in a river bed, after the drivers of two automobiles drove up next to him and brutally beat him.

According to road.cc , after being unconscious for 6 hours, he woke up and called his family, who picked him up and took him home. They thought he was just bruised, but the following morning Amador began vomiting, so they took him to the hospital.

The incident happened on Amador’s final training ride of the year—he was 24 at the time. After being taken to the hospital in San José, doctors discovered that one of his kidneys was paralyzed, and that he had a pulmonary contusion and severe bruising on his lungs.

What could have meant the end of his career as a professional cyclist instead became a testament to Amador’s strength. After significant downtime, Amador made a full recovery from his injuries and was chosen to carry the flag for Costa Rica at the 2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony.

He also became the first Costa Rican to ever ride the Tour de France. And in 2012, Amador won a mountainous stage 14 in the Giro d'Italia. His success continued when he wore the pink jersey in the 2016 Giro d'Italia, becoming the first Costa Rican to lead a Grand Tour.

We’re happy to see the 36-year-old still out front crushing it at the biggest bike race in the world, an inspiring example of the power of not giving up.

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

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EF Education-EasyPost announce Tour de France lineup full of climbing quality including Carapaz, Uran, Chaves and Cort

The penultimate team to announce their Tour de France 2023 lineup, EF Education-EasyPost have revealed the eight riders tasked with bringing success to the American-based team.

Plenty of climbing quality is on show for EF Education-EasyPost at this year's edition of the race. Richard Carapaz will lead the charge as far as the general classification charge with support from fellow South American's Rigoberto Uran, Esteban Chaves and Andrey Amador .

PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 - Key stages, how the Pogacar vs Vingegaard battle will unfold and the star-studded peloton

Giro d'Italia stage winner Magnus Cort Nielsen will be hoping to repeat his breakaway success once again, whilst Neilson Powless and James Shaw will also provide some quality climbing support for the leaders with Alberto Bettiol rounding out the 8-man lineup.

EF Education-EasyPost for the 2023 Tour de France:

Richard Carapaz, Rigoberto Uran, Esteban Chaves, Andrey Amador, Magnus Cort Nielsen, Neilson Powless, James Shaw and Alberto Bettiol.

Final startlist Tour de France with BIB | Vingegaard, Pogacar, Cavendish, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Bernal, Pidcock, Sagan and Girmay

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Andrey Amador

Points per specialty

• 671 One day races
• 1228 Time trial
• 1391 Climber
• UCI World 1923
• PCS Ranking 735
• Visits: ▼198  this week

Top results

•   stage Giro d'Italia   ('12)
•   Klasika Primavera de Amorebieta   ('18)
• 4th  GC Giro d'Italia   ('15)
• 2nd  stage Giro d'Italia   ('16)
• 2nd  Trofeo Matteotti   ('19)
• 2nd  stage Tour de Romandie   ('16)
• 2x  3rd  stage Giro d'Italia   ('16, '12)
• 2nd  stage Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol   ('18)
• 2nd  stage Tour of the Alps   ('22)
•   stage Vuelta Ciclista a Navarra   ('07)
• 8th  GC Giro d'Italia   ('16)
• 3rd  stage Tirreno-Adriatico   ('13)
• 2025 EF Education - EasyPost (WT)
• 2024 EF Education - EasyPost (WT)
• 2023 EF Education - EasyPost (WT)
• 2022 INEOS Grenadiers (WT)
• 2021 INEOS Grenadiers (WT)
• 2020 Team INEOS (WT) as from 12/02
• 2019 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2018 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2017 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2016 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2015 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2014 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2013 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2012 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2011 Movistar Team (WT)
• 2010 Caisse d'Epargne (WT)
• 2009 Caisse d'Epargne (PT)
• 2006 Viña Magna - Cropu (CT) as from 14/06

Upcoming participations

Key statistics.

• 2 Wins GC (0) Oneday races (1) ITT (0)
• 18 Grand tours tour (7) giro (7) vuelta(4)
• 19 Classics RBX(2) MSR(6) RVV(5) LBL(4) LOM(2)

PCS Ranking position per season

• Iván Amador  (Brother)

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• Vuelta a España

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• Volta a Catalunya
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Tour de France 2023: full team-by-team guide

Our in-depth look at every team, the main riders to watch and the cast of characters racing through France this summer

• Stage-by-stage guide to this year’s Tour de France
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Ag2R-Citroën

Veteran French Tour battlers notorious for wearing brown shorts. Their Australian climber Ben O’Connor had a nightmare in 2022, ripping a muscle in a crash, but O’Connor is back on form this season so they need a repeat of his 2021 feats, with Paret-Peintre and Cosnefroy likely to target hilly stages.

Team Stan Dewulf, Clément Berthet, Felix Gall, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Ben O’Connor, Benoît Cosnefroy, Oliver Naesen, Nans Peters

Main man Ben O’Connor – Aussie mountain man still out to prove 2021’s fourth overall was not a fluke

Alpecin-Deceuninck

From a relatively small cyclo-cross squad this cannily managed Dutch team has grown into a force to be reckoned with, mainly due to the presence of Mathieu van der Poel, the most charismatic racer in the bunch, but also because the team has recruited wisely around him. At the Tour they focus on Jasper Philipsen for the sprints and perhaps the green points jersey, with VdP targeting everything bar the high mountains; he will be a favourite on stage one’s short steep hills. Van der Poel took a long rest after his Classics campaign which seems to have paid off given his form in late June.

Team Silvain Dillier, Michael Gogl, Søren Kragh Andersen, Mathieu van der Poel, Quinten Hermans, Jasper Philipsen, Jonas Rickaert, Ramon Sinkeldam

Main man Mathieu van der Poel – flying this year, with two major Classic wins and a dominant display in the Tour of Belgium: expect fireworks.

Arkea-Samsic

This Breton-centred squad don’t have enough firepower to thrive in cycling’s most competitive milieu. Leader Warren Barguil was the future once but now looks like just another plucky contender. They will put riders in the daily daring moves but it’s hard to foresee a great deal more.

Team Warren Barguil, Clément Champoussin, Simone Guglielmi, Anthony Delaplace, Luca Mozzato, Jenthe Biermans, Matîs Louvel, Laurent Pichon

Main man Warren Barguil. “Wawa” was King of the Mountains and double stage winner in 2017, but there’s only so long you can live off past glories.

Astana Qazaqstan

Kakakhstan’s finest have changed tack by hiring Mark Cavendish; a stage win for the Manxman is the obvious target but there’s not a lot of sprint support here apart from Cees Bol, with Moscon for the grunt work beforehand. To hedge their bets, Federov and Lutsenko will target mountain stages.

Team Mark Cavendish, Aleksei Lutsenko, Cees Bol, David de la Cruz, Yevgeniy Federov, Luis Leon Sanchez, Gianni Moscon, Harold Tejada

Main man Mark Cavendish – the greatest sprinter of all needs one Tour stage win for the absolute record but it won’t be simple given the dearth of sprint stages.

Bahrain Victorious

Likely to be scarred mentally by the shocking death of Gino Mäder in the Tour of Switzerland, but if that tragedy brings them together, most of the riders look to be coming to form and they have a raft of chances to be “victorious” with new British champion Wright, Poels, Bilbao and Mohoric.

Team Niklas Arndt, Phil Bauhaus, Jack Haig, Pello Bilbao, Fred Wright, Mikel Landa, Matej Mohoric, Wout Poels

Main man Mikel Landa – the Basque climber is a cult figure due to his enigmatic, tragic mien; he could make the top five or fall apart. That’s “Landismo”.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Multiple opportunities for Germany’s finest, who pulled an excellently crafted Giro d’Italia win out of the bag last year with Australian climber Jai Hindley – quite the progression since their humble beginnings as team NetApp more than 10 years ago. Once again there is no place for the sprinter Sam Bennett, who has not ridden the Tour since winning two stages and the points prize in 2020. Around Hindley there’s plenty of climbing strength with Konrad, Buchman and Higuita plus a 2022 stage winner in Jungels, and a sprinter who can look after himself in Meeus.

Team Emanuel Buchman, Marco Haller, Jai Hindley, Bob Jungels, Patrick Konrad, Nils Politt, Jordi Meeus, Danny van Poppel, plus one to be named by Friday 30 June

Main man Jai Hindley. Fourth in the recent Criterium du Dauphiné bodes well but can he step up into cycling’s most hostile environment?

A team of options and caveats. Zingle, Martin, Lafay, Izaguirre and Geschke can hope for an opportunistic stage win, while Coquard is competitive in a small group finish. But they will struggle to rival the heavyweights so will probably end up with the French fallback: the daily suicide break.

Team Bryan Coquard, Simon Geschke, Ion Izaguirre, Victor Lafay, Guillaume Martin, Anthony Perez, Alexis Renard, Axel Zingle

Main man: Guillaume Martin – a cerebral climber who has written a book on philosophy; he could scrape into the top 10 overall but that looks like his limit.

DSM-Firmenich

This squad doesn’t have the biggest budget but it has a knack of landing key wins when it matters. They split neatly into a climbing half around the evergreen Romain Bardet, and Degenkolb, Edmondson and Eeckhoff in the sprint half in support of Sam Welsford – one of the surprises of this season.

Team Nils Eeckhoff, John Degenkolb, Kevin Vermaerke, Alex Edmondson, Sam Welsford, Matthew Dinham, Chris Hamilton, Romain Bardet.

Main man Romain Bardet. No longer the force he was when he finished second in the 2016 Tour but still capable of a solid top 10 overall.

EF Education-Easypost

The American team that loves to act the kooky underdogs but the facts belie this. They had a great Tour in 2022 thanks to Magnus Cort’s stage win; this year they had notched up 20 race wins by late June. The Olympic champion Carapaz, Bettiol, Uran and Powless could all land a stage.

Team Richard Carapaz, Rigoberto Uran, Neilson Powless, Alberto Bettiol, Esteban Chaves, Magnus Cort, James Shaw, Andrey Amador

Main man Magnus Cort – behind the (sponsored) fighter pilot moustache is a ruthless stage hunter chasing his 10th Grand Tour stage win.

Groupama-FDJ

In their 27th Tour, as usual it’s going to be fly or flop, with a bit more pressure after leader David Gaudu’s spat with sprinter Arnaud Démare sidelined this proven winner. Much loved Thibaut Pinot starts his final Tour; expect tears aplenty, hopefully on the Champs Elysées rather than before.

Team David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets, Stefan Küng, Olivier Le Gac, Valentin Madouas, Quentin Pacher, Thibaut Pinot, Lars Van den Berg

Main man David Gaudu – is France’s best hope for a podium finish but can he bear the weight of a nation?

Ineos Grenadiers

Once upon a time, the squad reputed to be the richest in cycling were the ones to beat in the Tour, but they have lost direction since Chris Froome’s departure and Egan Bernal’s horrific crash in 2022, and are now scrabbling to keep up with Jumbo and UAE. That’s reflected in a victory haul this season of around half that of the Big Two. A lot hangs on Tom Pidcock, winner at l’Alpe d’Huez last year; with Bernal struggling to return to his best, this line-up prompts a mild chin stroke rather than a sense of shock and awe.

Team Dani Martínez, Tom Pidcock, Michal Kwiatkowski, Jonathan Castroviejo, Carlos Rodriguez, Egan Bernal, Omar Fraile, Ben Turner

Main man Tom Pidcock. Super talented and a terrifyingly good bike handler, the 23-year-old Yorkshireman needs to build on a great 2022 race.

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty

Seamless progress for the Walloon team since their Tour debut in 2018. No Belgians in their squad which won’t go down well at home, but they have a real stage win hope in Girmay, a potential top 10 finisher in Meintjes and wildcards such as Calmejane, Costa and Teunissen.

Team Lilian Calmejane, Rui Costa, Biniam Girmay, Louis Meintjes, Adrien Petit, Dion Smith, Mike Teunissen, Georg Zimmerman.

Main man Biniam Girmay – after landing a sprint stage of the Giro last year, the Eritrean is a good bet to become the first black African Tour stage winner.

Israel-PremierTech

With only five wins this year, they need to buck that trend with climber Woods, the punchy Teuns, sprinter Strong or all-rounder Clarke. They will have to box clever, because none of these is the very best at their speciality. No place for Chris Froome after his poor start to 2023.

Team Guillaume Boivin, Simon Clarke, Hugo Houle, Krists Neilands, Nick Schultz, Corbin Strong, Dylan Teuns, Michael Woods

Main man Michael Woods – 36 years old and a four-minute miler in the past, the Canadian is a decent outside bet on any steep uphill finish.

Jayco-AlUla

All in for sprinter Groenewegen and climber Yates. Yates has had a lean 2023, but he’s notched up 10 Grand Tour stages since 2018 and will have plenty of chances in a very hard Tour. Harper and Craddock support him in the mountains; Mezgec will deliver Groenewegen in the sprints.

Lawson Craddock, Luke Durbridge, Dylan Groenewegen, Chris Harper, Chris Juul-Jensen, Luka Mezgec, Elmar Reinders, Simon Yates

Main man Dylan Groenewegen. Looking for his sixth career Tour stage win, the Dutchman has had a strong season with half a dozen wins to his name already.

Jumbo-Visma

One of the two “superteams” in the race; there are times when Jumbo seem to win when, how and where they want. Here it’s all in for Vingegaard with Küss, Van Baarle and Kelderman his mountain support crew. The biggest asset is Wout van Aert, the most powerful all-rounder in cycling, who could probably hope to win half a dozen stages if he was the team leader. What’s disconcerting is that Jumbo put out a strong squad to win this year’s Giro with Primoz Roglic, and they can afford to leave all of them out of the Tour including the Slovene.

Team Wilco Kelderman, Dylan van Baarle, Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Christopher Laporte, Nathan van Hooydonck, Sep Küss, Jonas Vingegaard

Main man Jonas Vingegaard – wraith-like Dane who had the climbing legs to break Tadej Pogacar when it mattered last year, but the second Tour win never comes easy

There’s plenty of value for money here. It’s all about stage wins. The 2019 world champion Mads Pedersen is the best bet, but Skjelmose took the recent Tour of Switzerland while Ciccone landed stages in Catalonia and the Dauphiné. They boast three newly crowned national champions in Skjelmose, Kirsch and Simmons.

Giulio Ciccone, Tony Gallopin, Alex Kirsch, Juan Pedro Lopez, Mads Pedersen, Quinn Simmons, Mattias Skjelmose, Jesper Stuyven

Main man Mads Pedersen – he has stage wins at the Giro and Paris-Nice to his name this year, and will have a good chance on the hillier days at the Tour

Lotto-Dstny

Relegated to the second division last season, Belgium’s oldest team put most of their eggs in a basket labelled Caleb Ewan. Most of the team will be dedicated to ensuring he is in the right place at sprint finishes; strongmen Vermeersch and Campenaerts may be let off the leash on the non-sprint days.

Team Caleb Ewan, Jasper de Buyst, Jacopo Guarnieri, Florian Vermeersch, Frederik Frison, Victor Campenaerts, Pascal Eenkhorn, Maxim van Gils

Main man Caleb Ewan – five Tour stages to his name so far, one more would make Lotto’s Tour.

There’s a mid-table look to cycling’s oldest team, a far cry from when Miguel Indurain won five Tours in a row. Mas can target the podium, and Jorgensen is one of the most exciting prospects in the sport, but the fact he’s rumoured to be moving on in 2024 speaks volumes.

Team Alex Aranburu, Ruben Guerreiro, Gorka Izaguirre, Matteo Jorgensen, Enric Mas, Gregor Mühlberger, Neilson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero

Main man Enric Mas – often the bridesmaid never the bride, the Spaniard is one of the big group targeting third place behind the Big Two while aiming for better if they falter.

Soudal-Quickstep

Belgian winning machine have converted themselves to a Grand Tour team led by Remco Evenepoel, who sits this one out. Here it’s about fidgety Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe and sprinter Fabio Jakobsen. “Juju” is under pressure from manager Patrick Lefevère and needs to find his former magic touch, while Jakobsen needs to at least repeat his stage win of last year; his five victories this year suggest that’s on the cards with the support of top lead-out man Mørkøv. Asgreen, Lampaert and Cavagna will support Alaphilippe in the hills and go in the breaks when he’s having a recovery day.

Team Julian Alaphilippe, Yves Lampaert, Tim Decelercq, Dries Devenyns, Fabio Jakobsen, Kasper Asgreen, Michael Mørkøv, Remi Cavagna

Main man Julian Alaphilippe – double world champion endured a torrid 2022 but has won twice this year and will be a favourite for stage one.

TotalEnergies

Once a reservoir of developing French talent, now a home for stars past their sell-by dates such as Boasson-Hagen, Oss and Sagan, while French riders Turgis and Latour are no longer cutting edge. Between them they will deliver various near misses, while a stage win would be a miracle.

Team Edvald Boasson-Hagen, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Steff Cras, Valentin Ferron, Pierre Latour, Daniel Oss, Peter Sagan, Anthony Turgis

Main man Peter Sagan. Once a mega star, the multiple world champion, Tour stage winner and record points winner is now on his farewell Tour.

UAE Team Emirates

Cycling’s other “super team”, with a wealth of strong men to rival Jumbo-Visma in support of double Tour winner Tadej Pogacar, who had taken on another dimension this year with his wins in the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallonne before his untimely crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Behind “Pog”, Adam Yates has hit form in the Critérium du Dauphiné and won the Tour de Romandie back in May, so should prove a decent understudy. After illness ripped through their ranks in last year’s Tour, arguably contributing to Pogacar’s defeat to Vingegaard, every cough, sniffle and minor headache will be viewed with suspicion.

Team Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Grossschartner, Vejgard Stake Langen, Rafal Majka, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Soler, Matteo Trentin, Adam Yates

Main man Tadej Pogacar – cycling’s biggest winner is targeting a third Tour; wins in his national road and time trial titles suggests the form has returned after a hiatus to nurse a broken wrist.

Invited to their first Tour, the Norwegian squad have a solid reputation for developing new talent and making the most of their resources. They bring a promising line-up fronted by veteran sprinter Kristoff, climbers Johanneson and Traeen, a strong all rounder in Waerenschold, plus the gritty Rasmus Tiller at the helm.

Team Jonas Abrahamsen, Torsten Traeen, Søren Waerenschold, Anton Charmig, Jonas Gregaard, Rasmus Tiller, Tobias Halland Johannesen, Alexander Kristoff

Main man Alexander Kristoff – is long in the tooth but could still snag a stage win; in a team of Tour debutants his experience will be crucial.

Changes can be made until Friday 30 June. Team line-ups correct at time of publication

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Andrey Amador participará en el Tour de France 2023

Esta será la séptima participación del costarricense en la competencia.

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Se hizo oficial con la confirmación de que el pedalista costarricense, Andrey Amador, tomará la salida del Tour de France 2023. Este reconocido evento se desarrollará a partir del 1de julio y culminará el 23 del mismo mes.

Amador se ha venido preparando y se muestra en forma para los próximos 21 días de competencia en uno de los eventos más reconocidos y exigentes del mundo. Vale mencionar que El Tour se disputa en un recorrido alrededor de todo Francia, incluyendo las etapas más demandantes a través de Los Pirineos.

El costarricense ha estado entrenando arduamente desde que finalizó sus compromisos con el GFAA “Nosotros nos sentimos muy emocionados por Andrey y hemos sido testigos de su sacrificio y esfuerzo. Definitivamente este es un logro por el que ha trabajado mucho y que nuevamente pone al ciclismo de Costa Rica en el mapa.” Agregó Leonora Jiménez, socia y organizadora del GFAA.

Andrey asegura haber tenido meses de mucho esfuerzo, compromiso y dedicación, entrenando y poniendo su cuerpo al límite para poder cumplir este sueño de estar presente en un Tour más, haciendo lo que más le gusta y dándole presencia a Costa Rica en la mayor competencia de ciclismo del mundo “Realmente he puesto mi 200 %, ha sido una preparación dura pero impecable y ahora con el anuncio, me siento motivado para representar a mi país de la mejor manera” afirmó.

Andrey Amador irá al Tour de France como gregario para su equipo. Participará junto con su líder Richard Carapaz, ambos parte del equipo EF Education - Easy Post.

Esta sería la séptima participación de Andrey Amador en el Tour de France: 2011 - Movistar 2013 - Movistar 2017 - Movistar 2018 - Movistar 2019 - Movistar 2020 - Ineos 2023 - EF

A través de las redes sociales del Gran Fondo Andrey Amador, se promoverá un movimiento de apoyo hacia el atleta costarricense, llamado "Un Tour más con Andrey”, este tiene como propósito celebrar la mayor fiesta del ciclismo internacional en Costa Rica, apoyando al pedalista más emblemático del país.

“Cada Tour de Francia es especial, es la carrera con la que soñaba desde niño, estoy muy muy feliz. Agradecido por la confianza de mi equipo, espero hacer un gran papel, gracias por el apoyo de todos los ticos. Mi mensaje para todos los ciclistas es que siempre crean en sus sueños y trabajen fuerte por lograr sus objetivos. Además invitarlos desde ya a rodar conmigo en el Gran Fondo AA 2024” finalizó Andrey Amador

Para seguir los detalles más relevantes sobre el Tour de France 2023, todos los interesados pueden acceder a las redes sociales del Gran Fondo Andrey Amador. @mundiario

El autor, ISMAEL HERNÁNDEZ PORRAS, colaborador de la edición COSTA RICA de MUNDIARIO, es licenciado en Periodismo Deportivo. Se define como una persona dispuesta a profundizar en la prensa deportiva, sin renunciar a un crecimiento profesional que le permita innovar. @mundiario

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Tour de France 2023: Jasper Philipsen takes stage 11 in sprint finish – as it happened

On an otherwise uneventful day at the Tour, Jasper Philipsen claimed his fourth stage victory of this year’s race in a bunch finish at Moulins

• Read Jeremy Whittle’s stage 11 report from Moulins
• 12 Jul 2023 Philipsen makes it four sprint wins out of four
• 12 Jul 2023 The top five on General Classification
• 12 Jul 2023 The top five on stage 11
• 12 Jul 2023 Jasper Philipsen wins again ...
• 12 Jul 2023 Jasper Philipsen wins stage 11 ...
• 12 Jul 2023 They're racing on stage 11 ...
• 12 Jul 2023 The roll-out has begun ...
• 12 Jul 2023 Who's wearing what jersey?
• 12 Jul 2023 Bilbao pays tribute to Mäder as Vingegaard retains yellow
• 12 Jul 2023 Tour de France stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

93km to go: And in case you’re interested, for journalists covering the Tour, rest day is laundry day.

94km to go: The gap is at 1min 18sec. “Your running commentary accompanies my morning here in Chicago, thank you!” writes Anne Boubouleix, who is welcome. “Question for you, watching the riders come in yesterday following a gruelling, stifling stage, many blamed not only the heat but the rest day too. What typically is the routine for riders on a rest day?”

To the best of my knowledge, some of the riders enjoy a lie-in, others get to spend some time with their families (possibly including some “special” time with their significant others), there are media duties to attend to for plenty, while sponsors also have to be kept happy. Those who need to get their injuries seen to and almost all of them go out on their bikes, some for up to three or fours hours, just to keep their legs ticking over. Failure to do so can have horrific consequences, by most accounts. Interestingly, some riders would prefer if there were no rest days.

106km to go: With regard to Sue from Suffolk’s email about Philipsen getting abuse, it seems fans of Mark Cavendish and Biniam Girmay have been giving him loads of it on social media after he beat the two sprinters on stage seven and their teams’ complained to the race jury about the (uncontroversial, in my opinion) manner in which he won.

“I could scroll through it for hours, but it doesn’t make you any happier so I’m not going to bother with it either,” he wrote in a newspaper column, which Sue has steered my way. “Those messages certainly don’t throw me off balance.”

🇫🇷 @LouvelMatis takes the 20 points at the IS! 🇫🇷 @LouvelMatis prend les 20 points du sprint intermédiaire ! #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/I3GOLJvKaC — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2023

108km to go: Back in the bunch, Jasper Philipsen swoops to beat Bryan Coquard, who is second in the competition for the green jersey, on the line at the intermediate sprint.

110km to go: With Jasper Philipsen over 100 points clear in this year’s Green Jersey competition, none of our leading trio are concerned with it. There is, however, €1,500 up for grabs to whoever is first over the line, which goes in the team kitty. Second gets a grand and whoever comes third gets €500. This one goes uncontested and Matis Louvel (Arkea-Samsic) rolls over in first place without breaking sweat.

112km to go: Our breakaway trio are meandering towards the intermediate sprint, which is in a couple of kilometres time.

121km to go: The gap from our lead trio back to the peloton is at 1min 31sec.

126km to go: Soudal-Quick Step have a man – presumably Tim “The Tractor” Declercq putting in a shift at the front of the bunch.

128km to go: To mangle the famous old quote from Withnail & I, the trio of Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies), Matîs Louvel (Arkea-Samsic) and Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost) are in the breakaway by mistake but are continuing their exercise in total futility, presumably under the orders of their bosses. The gap is 1min 43sec.

Fabio Jakobsen: The Soudal-Quick Step rider had a nightmare day yesterday but managed to finish 10 minutes inside the cut-off time. “Hard,” he told Cycling Weekly. “A hard stage. Not a good day. You hope for it to be better but it wasn’t. I have no idea [why it was so bad]. I have no explanation. Maybe it’s the crash [but] I hope to be better.”

The 26-year-old Dutchman has also confirmed that he’ll be leaving his team after six years once the professional cycling transfer window opens in August. “‘I want to go the Tour and sprint, which won’t happen in the next few years here,” he said. Jakobsen is expected to join DSM-Firmenich, while his current team are building what they hope will be a Grand Tour-winning team around Remco Evenepoel.

135km to go: " What’s with all the negativity I have been seeing online about Philipsen?” asks Sue from Suffolk. “I have obviously missed something.”

Me too, Sue. I haven’t seen anything too negative.

141km to go: Stage 11 so far: Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies), Matîs Louvel (Arkea-Samsic) and Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost) attacked the peloton early in the stage, almost certainly expecting a few more riders to join them. None did and precisely nothing has happened since. The gap is coming down, however. It’s now at 1min 42sec. The peloton are travelling at a fair old lick.

147km to go: Speaking to Jens Voigt, Eurosport’s man following the peloton on the pillion of a motorbike, Andrey Amador’s team boss said he’d expected his rider to get in a break of 14 or 15 riders, but is a little disappointed that it’s only a three-man escape party. He adds that he told him to soldier on regardless, conveying the impression that Amador might not have been so keen. The gap is at 2min 12sec and the breakaway is being kept on a very tight rein.

148km to go: Matîs Louvel is the highest ranked rider in today’s breakaway and needs to win today’s stage by 1hr 5min 31sec to wrestle the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Jonas Vingegaard. It’s unlikely, to say the least.

150km: Astonishingly bad mental arithmetic on my part means the first climb today is coming up presently and much like today’s second climb, continues it’s upward trajectory once the riders have passed the Tour-designated summit. The breakaway are just beginning their uphill journey now.

153km to go: The Alpecin-Deceuninck team of sprinter Jasper Philipsen move three or four riders to the front of the bunch as the gap goes out to 3min 02sec. They’re pedalling along at 43km per hour.

158km to go: Today’s first climb is the category four Côte de Chaptuzat-Haut, which is 490m high with an average gradient of 5% and 1.9 kilometres in length and quite literally crops up in around 10 kilometres time.

160km to go: The riders of Alpecin-Deceuninck are at the front of the bunch, where race leader Jonas Vingegaard is also clearly visible. The road is pancake flat and the gap is almost at the three-minute mark. After yesterday’s early fireworks, today has been comparatively sedate.

161km to go: The gap goes out to 2min 16sec, with Amador, Louvel and Oss perhaps questioning the wisdom of their early enthusiasm. They’re in for a long, lonely afternoon.

168km to go: Amador, Louvel and Oss remain out in front while the riders of Lotto-Dstny are towing the peloton along. The gap is out to 1min 48sec.

174km to go: Amador, Louvel and Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) have been allowed to escape and have opened a gap of 38 seconds and rising. Strap yourselves in for what promises to be a long, boring afternoon of not a whole lot …

176km to go: Amador goes again and is joined by Matis Louvel (Arkéa–Samsic). A few more riders try to bridge the gap.

They're racing on stage 11 ...

178km to go: Christian Prudhomme semaphores the signal to start racing with his trusty yellow flag but today’s start is nothing like as wild as yesterday’s. The Costa Rican rider Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost) tries his luck with a jump off the front but cancels his escape plan when it becomes apparent nobody is interested in joining him.

The roll-out has begun ...

Stage 11 neutral zone: The riders are meandering through Clermont-Ferrand ahead of being given the signal to start racing. Today’s stage isn’t massively flat but not hugely hilly either. We’ll almost certainly have a breakaway but it’s likely to end in a sprint finish. Some of the major sprinters’ may hedge their bets by trying to get men in the breakaway, while the teams of others may try to stop them doing that. It’s the last chance for the sprinters until stage 18, and there’s plenty without a win who will be trying to get one over on Jasper Philipsen today.

Who's wearing what jersey?

Yellow: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 42hr 33min 13sec

Green: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 260 points

Polka-dot: Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

White: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates)

Bilbao pays tribute to Mäder as Vingegaard retains yellow

Stage 10 report: As he celebrated his first stage win in the Tour de France, Pello Bilbao pointed initially to the sky and then to his heart, in tribute to his former Bahrain Victorious teammate Gino Mäder, who died while descending at speed in the Tour de Suisse less than a month ago. Bilbao won stage 10 to Issoire after outsprinting Georg Zimmermann, racing for Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. Jeremy Whittle reports from Issoire …

The top five on General Classification

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 42hr 33min 13sec

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) +17sec

Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) +2min 40sec

Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +4min 22sec

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) +4min 34sec

Tour de France stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

William Fotheringham on stage 11: A bunch sprint for sure, simply because with so few opportunities the sprinters won’t want to let this one get away. A break will go with riders looking for television time, but they won’t stand a chance. The question here is: which sprinters have survived the Massif Central, and which teams have any firepower left? One thing is certain: we won’t see another mass finish for at least eight days.

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Jasper the master

Jasper Philipsen took place in the modern history of the Tour de France as he became the second active rider with at least four stage wins in a single Tour after Mark Cavendish as he outclassed Dylan Groenewegen and Phil Bauhaus in Moulins where Jonas Vingegaard collected the 17th Maillot Jaune of his career.

AMADOR, LOUVEL AND OSS AT THE FRONT

The start proper of stage 11 was given to 169 riders at 13.26. Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost) was first out of the peloton, although at a slow speed. Two riders joined him: Tony Gallopin (Lidl-Trek) and Matîs Louvel (Arkea-Samsic). Gallopin sat up but Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) substituted him as he made the jump. This leading trio easily took some advantage to reach a maximum of 3’20’’ at km 25 where Alpecin-Deceuninck decided to take the responsibilities to pace the peloton. The teams of the top sprinters left with no win in the first four bunch gallops, namely Jayco-AlUla, Lotto-Dstny and Soudal-Quick, respectively for Dylan Groenewegen, Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jakobsen.

OSS UNTIL 13.5KM TO GO

The peloton delayed the regrouping as long as possible but crosswinds led GC teams to speed up in their move to position their captains close to the helm. With 54km to go, Louvel sat up, so did Amador 5km further. Oss remained alone. He forged on even when the rain made its first appearance on the roads of the Tour de France this year. The Italian veteran was reeled in 13.5km before the end. Soudal-Quick positioned Fabio Jakobsen at the front with 10km remaining.

IT’S PHILIPSEN AGAIN

Jumbo-Visma took over from the sprinters’ teams, firstly to keep Jonas Vingegaard out of trouble until 3km to go, secondly to pave the way for Wout van Aert. Dylan Groenewegen got the best lead out and launched the sprint but Philipsen was smart to follow his slipstream in the absence of Mathieu van der Poel in the finale this time around. The Belgian passed him to score his fourth stage win this year.

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The best images from the 2023 Tour de France Stage 6

Tadej pogačar strikes back.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

I was a big day for the GC riders. The yellow jersey changed hands. A surprise attack by Tadej Pogačar caught Jonas Vingegaard off-guard making the race for the overall exciting and unpredictable.

Photographers Ashley and Jered Gruber and Chris Auld were jumping around the course finding the best shots all day long. Here are some of the best images from stage 6 of the 2023 Tour de France.

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Andrey Amador joins EF Education-EasyPost in 2023

Costa Rican rider brings experience and climbing prowess to the team

August 22, 2022

EF Education-EasyPost are delighted to have signed Andrey Amador to the team.

The Costa Rican, who has worn the Giro d’Italia’s coveted maglia rosa, adds experience to the roster.

Next year will mark Andrey’s 14th season racing at the WorldTour level and in that time, he has experienced the peaks and valleys of our sport, giving him a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on.

“I define myself as a rider who can give support in the best and worst moments,” Andrey says. ”If I have something, then I give it all and I give my best for the team. I sacrifice myself. Not only that, but I will aim for everything that I can reach.”

Over his career, Andrey has reached for plenty and his results show it, ranging from his 2008 win at the Tour de l’Avenir to wearing the leader’s jersey at his favorite race, the Giro d’Italia.

“The Giro is a big thing for me and I love it. I fought for a podium spot in 2015 and one year later I finally could wear the maglia rosa. That same day my parents came to Europe to watch the race. They took a rental car, and we were all together, my parents and girlfriend, so this was a wonderful moment. It deeply touched me and seeing myself battling for a podium spot and getting the jersey was a thing of beauty.”

Having known several EF Education-EasyPost riders over the years, he knew this was the right team for him.

“​​I’ve always been in touch with the riders, and I’m always hearing such good things about the team. Also, I loved watching Lachlan Morton and Alex Howes riding La Ruta de los Conquistadores. I just see this as a big team with so many countries represented,” Andrey says.

Team CEO, Jonathan Vaughters, says Andrey fills a valuable role within the roster.

"Amador is an anchor rider, meaning he anchors the team in terms of getting the hard work done. He is incredibly experienced. He has been top-ten in multiple grand tours. He is a very capable rider with a big engine in this part of his career. So what he is bringing to us is experience. He has still got this big engine, but he is an experienced helper that for such a young and constantly evolving team that is really repositioning itself in a big way for 2023, he brings stability and experience and the ability to teach a group of younger riders, when we have a very large group of Spanish-speaking young riders for next year that are going to need mentorship. He is a mentor."

Given that Andrey credits two Costa Rican former cyclists with giving him the inspiration and support to pursue his goal of turning professional himself, he views the opportunity to mentor his new teammates a grand responsibility and an honor.

At 35-years-old, Andrey is as motivated as ever to continue racing.

“I want to come back to my real level, and I’m very confident I will do that. I am ready to help the team, to give my best for my teammate or our leader and give the team what they need in the best possible way. I want to be a rider who they can rely on.”

When Andrey needs to unwind, he grabs his fishing pole and heads to the coast.

“The sea, fishing. I love it. Going to the sea and feeling the sand on my feet, this just makes me feel good. And when the season finishes, I like to go there and the time just flies away. I can easily be there for six or seven hours. But if I’m honest with you, my bike is my everything. I’m not the type of rider who says, ‘I’m going to disconnect for a month’ and then doesn’t touch his bike. Never! It’s my life. Not only my occupation, but also my life.”

Today, Andrey still finds the same joy in riding that he first discovered as a kid in Costa Rica when he and his brother joined their local bike shop for mountain bike rides.

“Riding my bike. It’s my life, my passion.”

And we love to see it. Welcome to the team, Andrey!

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Tour de France stage 11 AS IT HAPPENED: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins

It's another lumpy day out for the peloton, over three climbs and 179km

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Welcome to our coverage of stage 11 of the 2023 Tour de France. After a super-hot day yesterday, the peloton will be relieved that today is forecast to be far more bearable, with temperatures in the mid-twenties. They'll be less pleased to hear that rain is also a distinct possibility.

The 179.8km stage takes the riders north from Clermont-Ferrand in the dead-centre of the country to Moulins. They will tackle three cat-four climbs – the Côte de Chaptuzat-Haut at 33km; the Côte de Mercurol at 49.5km and the Côte de la Croix-Blanche at 118.5km. This leaves 60km of parcours that is only very mildly lumpy, giving the sprinters and their teams ample time to get it together..

Potential breakaways will be eyeing this stage too. It genuinely could go either way.

Clermont-Ferrand, where today's stage starts, has considerable Tour de France pedigree, having featured as a stage town on the race 11 times before – most recently in 2020 when it hosted the start of stage 14. That was won by Søren Kragh Andersen in Lyon.

It also boasts former Tour de France King of the Mountains and multiple stage winner Raphaël Geminiani as one of its sons, while Roman Bardet grew up not far down the road in Brioude.

At the other end of today's stage, the attractive town of Moulins has up to now been the only metropolitan prefecture in France not to have hosted the race. That changes today.

A certain French rider may enjoy a few extra cheers today as the race goes through, and not just because he wears the tricolore of the nation's road champion: Valentin Madouas celebrates his 27th birthday. Could he gift himself a stage win? Unfortunately today's stage isn't really Madouas territory, he likes it lumpier.

Today's stage is set to be the last opportunity for the sprinters for some time, with things getting far hillier tomorrow, and then mountainous as the race hits the Alps.

The next time the sprinters could realistically have their day is next Thursday in Bourg-en-Bresse. There's going to be a lot of tapping it out in grupettos between now and then.

Let's have a look at today's climbs.

The Côte de Chaptuzat-Haut comes first, summiting at 33.8km. It's 1.9km long at 5%.

Next up is the Côte du Mercurol , which the riders complete at 49.5km. This one's 2.9km at 4.6%.

Finally is the Côte de la Croix-Blanche at 118.5km; it's 1.6km long at 5.4%.

It's unlikely any of the sprinters (except maybe for Fabio Jakobsen , who has been in difficulty in recent stages) will have too many issues getting over these.

Peter Sagan reassures Clermont-Ferrand residents that, just because he won't be riding the Tour de France any more, it doesn't mean he'll never be coming back.

🇸🇰Residents of @ClermontFd, do not worry, as @petosagan will come back in your town someday! 🇸🇰Habitants de @ClermontFd, ne vous inquiétez pas, @petosagan reviendra chez vous !#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/4EYdKKDuZp July 12, 2023

Mark Cavendish's Astana Qazaqstan leadout man Cees Bol says he is set to contest the sprint for himself today, should the stage finish in a bunch dash. 

It comes after Cavendish crashed out of the race on Saturday's stage eight to Limoges.

Dutchman Bol has never won a Grand Tour stage before, though he came close on two occasions in 2020, when he was second and third on stages in the Tour de France.

JAKOBSEN: 'TODAY WE WILL TRY AGAIN'

Fabio Jakobsen says it's likely his crash on stage four is still causing him problems, "but I don't want to keep using that as an excuse".

"Right now I think the level is what it is," said the Soudal-Quick Step sprinter, who has struggled in recent stages. "Last sprint I did I didn't have legs any more, 500m to go. Today we will try it again and see if there is something left in the tank to do a sprint."

"I don't want to keep using [the stage 4 crash] as an excuse"🇪🇺 European champion, Fabio Jakobsen spoke ahead of an expected bunch sprint in Moulins 🇳🇱#TDF2023 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/cb8gr3qDkn July 12, 2023

179.8km to go: The peloton rolling gently away from Clermont-Ferrand now, heading for the 'départ reel' 8km away.

179.8km to go: ' There's a lot of road furniture, and it could be really fast in the beginning', comes the warning from the Intermarché-Circus-Wanty team car to its riders. Four k's to the start proper now.

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) given the accolade of mellieur equipier – best team-mate – of week one by the Tour de France organisation this morning.

We reckon he'd exchange that for a stage win. He could well do exactly that today.

179.8km to go: They've reached the start but it's been pushed back as the race waits for Yvgeniy Fedorov to get back on after a (very early) puncture.

178.4km to go: He's back on and the race is go! Albeit at a very leisurely pace.

178km to go: Andrey Amador of EF Education-EasyPost just hanging off the front. It looks as though he's waiting - hoping - for someone to join him.

173km to go: Amador has got those companions he wanted. He's been joined by Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) and Matis Louvel (Arkéa-Samsic). The bunch is, apparently, more than happy to let them go.

172.8km to go: A thumbs-up from Valentin Madouas back in the peloton. Bon Anniversaire !

170km to go: That trio already has 1.15 on the peloton, which is lined out across the road and in tickover mode.

"If it's only three riders it's not a problem", comes the message from the Soudal-Quick Step team car.

165.9km to go: The gap up to the leading trio now up to 1.48. How much rope will the bunch allow them?

161km to go: The break is now out to 2.16 but the bunch behind is definitely showing an interest and the time gap has stopped widening half so fast.

Soudal-Quick Step, in the service of Fabio Jakobsen, is all over the front of the bunch.

160km to go: It's so, so flat around here. Proper big horizon country. Which the riders will no doubt appreciate, especially after an extremely hard day yesterday.

158.1km to go: Well, the bunch seems to have rapidly lost interest again, with the gap to the break going out to 3.08. Seems reasonable – there's still a long, long way to go.

"We just have to be patient, our luck will be there," Jonas Vingegaard tells GCN as he looks ahead to the Alps. 

152km to go: Not long until that first classified climb, the Côte de Chaptuzat-Haut. How will it affect proceedings? 

149km to go: The leading trio hit the slopes of that first climb, with a slowly reducing gap which is now 2.35.

"We wanted Andrey Amador to be in a group of 15 today," admits EF Education DS Andreas Klier, "We had some question marks, but now there's now way back."

148km to go: Matis Louvel takes the single point on offer over the Côte de Chaptuzat-Haut, and does so completely unopposed by his two fellow breakaways.

The gap has dropped considerably during the course of the ascent – it's now 2.18.

142km to go: That gap now down to less than two minutes – 1.40. The breakaway is being sent a message in no uncertain terms by the bunch. "Today ends in a sprint".

None of today's breakaway has any individual results of note this year. Amador was part of a ride to second place in the UAE Tour team time trial in February (and is in fact the only rider of the three to have scored a Grand Tour victory – Giro d'Italia 2012).

Matis Louvel has the best individual result of the three with seventh place in April's Brussels Cycling Classic.

While extremely unlikely at this point, a win today for any of them would be a season – indeed a career – highlight.

131km to go: The breakaway trio is currently on the Côte de Mercurol - a 2.9km climb pitched at 4.4%. The peloton is just 1-15 behind. 

124km to go: The gap to the breakaway has now stretched out to 1-30, but it's likelihood of lasting to the line are slim. Soudal Quick-Step are keeping them on a tight leash, as they hope to set up a sprint finish for Fabio Jakobsen. 

120km to go: The race commentators are getting more excited about shots of viaducts than any of the action on the road. Not every stage can be a fireworks display, folks. 

113km to go: The chase to the peloton is being led by Lotto Dstny, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Jayco AlUla and Soudal-Quick Step - the four biggest sprint teams. 

110km to go: Louvel sweeps up maximum points through the intermediate sprint in Lapeyrouse. We'll find out in two minutes if the green jersey hopefuls try for some spoils. 

108.5km to go: Jasper Philipsen pips Bryan Coquard for some minor sprint points. The photo finish confirms it. The Belgian extends his whopping lead in the green jersey classification. 

105km to go: Let's remind ourselves of the situation on the road. A breakaway trio of Andrey Amador (EF Education-EasyPost), Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) and Mathis Louvel (Arkéa-Samsic) have a 1-23 advantage up the road. 

The mood is calm and the peloton is undoubtedly banking on a sprint finish. 

99.9km to go: We're into the final 100km. There's one categorised climb between here and the finish - the fourth category Côte de la Croix Blanche - which comes in around 40km time. 

Don't hold your breath for excitement, though. It's 1.6km at 5.4% - child's play for the Tour de France peloton. 

92km to go: That gap to the break is now under a minute for the first time since a few kilometres after it was formed. It's at 50sec and dropping. 

On these straight roads the peloton can see their quarry ahead of them and the break can see them behind. They're looking demoralised.

85km to go: Well, my assertion at the start of the day that it could go either way bit the dust a long time a go. There's only one way today's stage is ending, and that's in a bunch sprint.

The break are now at 55sec. What you might call the goldilocks zone, at least for the sprinters' teams.

81km to go: The potential rain that was forecast for today looks as though it's going to make an appearance in a little while. Whether that means a wet and dicey finish in Moulins we'll have to wait and see. Let's hope not.

78km to go: Montluçon is a riot of colour with big crowds as the bunch passes through. There are puddles on the road, but right now it isn't raining.

PEDERSEN: 'I STILL BELIEVE I CAN WIN'

Lidl-Trek rider Mads Pedersen already has one stage under his belt, having won in Limoges on stage eight. Now he wants to try for another today, he says.

"It's a tough sprint and I miss the speed in these [flat] sprints," he said. "But I still believe I can win."

"We believe it's still possible, but everything has to be 100% correct. We know Jasper and so on, these guys are pretty fast in these flat sprints. It's not going to be easy but we still believe in it."

68km to go: The gap to the bunch is down to 26sec as the race approaches the final climb of the day. The bunch is going to have to deal with more attacks at this rate, with the escapees so close, and especially approaching a climb – albeit a very small one.

61km to go: The GC hitters are amassing around the front of the bunch on the bottom of the last climb. They're unlikely to be attacking here, but they're playing it safe. They can't get caught out here.

60km to go: Over almost as soon as it started, Daniel Oss leads the breakaway trio through the top of the Côte de la Croix-Blanche, 30sec ahead of the bunch.

Here comes the bunch. UAE, Jumbo and Ineos Grenadiers all riding on or near the front.

59km to go: They're into the cross winds now and the GC teams are clearly taking now chances. They're riding with purpose, faces showing real concentration. Will the break survive this?

53km to go: Despite the commitment behind in the bunch, the break is still out there at 25sec. No significant splits so far, which is what the GC riders were worried about. The crosswinds are easing, but could return.

51km to go: Louvel back in the bunch – it's just Amador and Oss out front now, but the gap has suddenly dropped by more than a third, to 18sec.

49km to go: Andrey Amador has now left Oss to it. He's coasting back to the bunch now.

Winning stages ends up being a virtuous circle for a sprinter like Jasper Philipsen, explains fellow sprinter Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), as more and more sprinters end up chasing his wheel and thus giving him an unimpeded ride to the line. 

39km to go: Daniel Oss still has 22 seconds out front. The peloton is clearly keen to let him hang out there, but judging by the apparent effort on the faces of those pulling at the front, it's a wonder the TotalEnergies rider wasn't swallowed up long ago.

32km to go: The bunch still working hard but Daniel Oss is now enjoying a 46 second gap. He won't have any false hopes though – his lead will be wiped out very quickly as soon as the sprinters' teams start setting up their charges for the bunch gallop.

Let's give Oss his due though – he is looking strong and very smooth, especially for a rider who has been out front working hard all day.

28km to go: It's raining on the bunch. It doesn't look hard, but it looks insistent. Somehow it doesn't appear to be raining on Oss though, so perhaps they'll ride through it shortly.

27km to go: Scratch that. Oss is getting soaked!

26km to go: It's proper chucking it down now, to use an expression. They'll be hoping this lets up before the finish at Moulins, that's for sure. Still 35sec for Oss.

20km to go: Daniel Oss has been awarded the combativity prize today. Well deserved.

He can add that to the five top-10 stage finishes he has had over his Tour de France career, which began in 2010.

17km to go: Oss's gap is now down to nine seconds, as the bunch begins to assert itself. It's quite early for this, as the finish is still a little way off. But there are roundabouts and corners to contend with going into Moulins and tension is clearly mounting in the peloton.

10km to go: Oss's epic endeavours have been brought to a close, with the Italian back in the bunch. The sprinters' teams are now at near full-tilt as they prepare for the finale.

9km to go: Rain is falling at the finish. The riders won't want to hear that.

6km to go: Across the front we have Soudal-Quick Step, Bahrain Victorious, Jumbo-Visma, Lotto-Dstny and Alpecin-Deceuninck all massing in battle formation.

4km to go: Jayco-AlUla are near the front too, and Intermarché for Biniam Girmay.

First roundabout done.

3km to go: The roads are, mercifully, looking relatively dry.

They're under the 3km banner. That signals relief for many, but for the sprinters this is just getting started.

1.5km to go: The bunch is near lined out.

Into the final K,

It's a chaotic sprint. Here comes Philipsen... he makes it four!

This really is Philipsen's Tour. He looked unbeatable there, putting a full bike length between has back wheel and the front wheel of second placed rider Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla). Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) was third.

For a stage in which very little happened for the vast majority, that finish was worth the wait.

Right, I'm off to write a stage report now. Thanks for joining us today.

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