What it takes to be a sprinter in the Tour de France

JASPER PHILIPSEN’S nickname is not one he would have aspired to when he was young. “Jasper Disaster”, as he is known to team-mates in the Alpecin-Deceuninck cycling team, is renowned for turning up to training without his helmet or his shoes. In the Tour de France of 2022 the Belgian celebrated winning a stage without realising that another rider had crossed the line eight seconds before him. With helmet and shoes firmly on, though, Mr Philipsen (pictured, in the lead) is phenomenally good on a bike. And he will have high hopes for this year’s Tour, which begins on June 29th in Florence (the race frequently starts outside France).