Tour de France Stage 7: Jasper Philipsen defeats Mark Cavendish; Here are all the key updates

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Tour de France took place on Friday, July 7, covering a flat distance of 169.9km from Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux. Mark Cavendish, who was vying to secure his 35th stage victory in the Tour de France and match Eddy Merckx's record for the most stage wins in Tour history, took the lead in the final stretch. However, he was ultimately overtaken by Jasper Philipsen, a Belgian sprinter known for his exceptional speed and ability to excel in close sprint finishes. Philipsen's triumph marked his third stage win in the 2023 Tour de France, with the stage itself completed in a time of 4 hours, 16 minutes, and 38 seconds, and an average speed of 39.3 kilometres per hour.

Breakaway: In the early stages of the race, Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën), Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa — Samsic), and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) formed a breakaway group and established a lead of over a minute. Intermediate Sprint: At the intermediate sprint in Grignols, Simon Guglielmi emerged as the winner, earning valuable sprint points. Côte de Béguey: The Côte de Béguey, a fourth-category mountain pass, spanned 1 kilometre with an average gradient of 4.4%. Pierre Latour was the first rider to reach the top. The Breakaway is Over: With only 3.5 kilometres remaining until the finish line, the peloton successfully caught up with and absorbed the breakaway group. Dramatic Finish: The stage concluded with a mass sprint, and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin — Deceuninck) emerged as the winner, clinching the victory. Close Finish: Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarché — Circus — Wanty) also finished with the same time as Philipsen.

Jasper Philipsen from