Jasper Philipsen has completed a hat trick of stage wins at this year's Tour de France but Biniam Girmay — his main rival for the best sprinter's green jersey — crashed near the finish.
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There was no major change in the general classification with two-time champion Tadej Pogacar keeping the overall lead.
Philipsen was perfectly led out by his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates in the last kilometre of Tuesday's 16th stage leading the peloton to Nimes, and he comfortably won the mass sprint. Once set up by Mathieu van der Poel, Philipsen was just too fast and too powerful for his fellow sprinters, edging Phil Bauhaus and Alexander Kristoff.
It was Philipsen's ninth career stage win at cycling's marquee event.
Girmay, whose lead at the top of classification for the green jersey was cut to 32 points, hit the tarmac within the last two kilometres. He finished the race being nursed by his Intermarche-Wanty team-mates, with obvious cuts to his arm and elbow.
Although his lead in the points classification has shrunk massively, the Eritrean remains the favourite given the lumpier territory that the remaining intermediate sprints will be fought over - providing he avoids any lasting damage.
"Everything is possible but it's really hard because (Girmay) is climbing well." said Philipsen. "I just hope he's okay after the crash because he doesn't deserve to lose it like this."
With two weeks of intense racing in the legs and a tough final week looming, the peloton was back on the bike following a rest day and took it easy. In the summer heat of southern France the pack stayed together on long stretches of flat roads for the 189 km stage.
The race livened up after the intermediate sprint, some 97 km after the start, when Frenchman Thomas Gachignard tried to break away with a solo attack. He built a lead of more than two minutes before the sprinters' teams took care of the chase and reined him in with 25 km left.
Pogacar, who stamped his authority on the race last weekend in the Pyrenees mountains, kept the yellow jersey with a lead of three minutes, nine seconds over two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. Third-place Remco Evenepoel is lagging 5:19 off the pace.
Jai Hindley in 18th, 45:51 behind, is the best-placed Australian.
Compatriot Chris Harper did not start the stage. His Jayco Alula team said Harper "is suffering from COVID symptoms and following medical advice he will return home to rest and recover properly for the next goals."
Riders head to the Alps on Wednesday with a stage to the ski resort of Superdevoluy, featuring three tough climbs in the final 40 kilometres.
Australian Associated Press
