Winless sprinter vows to continue to Paris

Despite a challenging Tour de France campaign thus far, Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen remains determined to complete the race in Paris. The upcoming stages are expected to be more mountainous, potentially discouraging pure sprinters from continuing, but Philipsen insists on seeing the race through.

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I want to be in the Tour de France more than at home on my sofa, so I will continue to Paris and enjoy every moment of the race.

Philipsen, who has secured ten Tour de France stage victories in his career, arrived at this year's event with high expectations. He demonstrated strong form in the lead-up, winning the Copenhagen Sprint and a stage in the Tour of Belgium. However, his performance in France has not met those expectations. On Thursday, he finished third in a sprint stage, behind winner Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij.

"I actually feel my level is really good. I wasn't quite at my peak earlier in the race, but in the last few days I've had a very good feeling, and I had that today (Thursday) too," Philipsen stated. He added that his team performed perfectly and executed the plan flawlessly, but acknowledged that "others were just better, and we have to accept that."

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I actually feel my level is really good. I wasn't quite at my peak earlier in the race, but in the last few days I've had a very good feeling, and I had that today (Thursday) too.

While a final opportunity for a stage win might arise on the closing stage in Paris, the route includes a detour over the Montmartre climb, posing an additional challenge for heavier sprinters like Philipsen. Regardless, his commitment to finishing the race underscores his dedication to the sport.

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The team also did a perfect job. Everything went according to plan, and my sprint was good. Unfortunately, others were just better, and we have to accept that.