Philipsen wins Tour de France stage 17; Latvians finish in peloton
Jasper Philipsen claimed victory in stage 17 of the Tour de France, while Latvian riders Toms Skujiņš and Krists Neilands finished with the main group, now sitting 92nd and 138th overall.
Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin - Premier Tech won the 17th stage of the Tour de France on Wednesday. The 174.7-kilometer stage featured four climbs within the first 60 kilometers, offering a relatively easier day ahead of the upcoming mountain stages.
The breakaway consisted of riders not contending for the general classification, while race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) remained in the peloton with his main rivals. The winner was decided in a small-group sprint, with Philipsen outsprinting Switzerland's Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla) and the Netherlands' Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM).
Latvian cyclists Toms Skujiņš and Krists Neilands finished in the main group, trailing the winner by 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Skujiņš placed 63rd on the stage, while Neilands was 93rd. After 17 stages, Pogačar maintains the yellow jersey with a 4-minute 32-second lead over Belgium's Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe). In the general classification, Skujiņš ranks 92nd (3 hours 22 minutes behind) and Neilands 138th (4 hours 7 minutes behind).
This is Skujiņš's eighth Tour de France and Neilands's sixth. Neilands's best result came in 2023 when he finished fourth on a stage, while Skujiņš was second in a stage in 2020. The 113th edition of the Tour de France will conclude on July 26 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
