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The Perfect Throw TdF23-144
I can't remember the last time the sprint on the Champs Elysees came down to a photo finish. But then why would the finish of this Tour be anymore predictable than any other moment of this race. It was a mad sprint to the line, that everyone expected the Maillot Vert on the shoulders of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunick). After all he had already won four sprints in this Tour. The only one to beat him on a slight uphill sprint was Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek). The other of the group most likely to take the stage was Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula). The least likely was the Tour rookie, Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe). Yet it was he who had the perfectly timed bike throw just barely edging out Philipsen. Groenewegen took third and Pedersen just missed the podium. Other than stage honors the results changed nothing, but it was exciting just the same. For Meeus it will be life changing. Today was his first professional victory, there is no bigger stage on which to perform, and he did it to a standing ovation.