'We can't ride faster than fast' - Philipsen's green jersey gamble nearly pays off as Pedersen holds firm

Philipsen was among those who made the early move, catching Lidl-Trek and Pedersen off guard as the green jersey leader was forced to chase back into contention alongside Biniam Girmay (NSN).

However, Pedersen ultimately limited the damage by fighting back into contention before the intermediate sprint.

Philipsen would sprint to first in the intermediate sprint ahead of Pedersen and Girmay, gaining five points back on the Dane, with the green jersey leader limiting his losses well following the early scare.

The result saw Pedersen extend his lead in the green jersey standings to 377 points, with Philipsen moving into second on 336 and Girmay third on 333.

Speaking after the stage, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) admitted that the German team had been caught on the back foot, costing them resources to repair the damage.

“It was a crappy day. We were at the back all day. It was a crappy situation when Philipsen came up in a group without Mads. There we had to burn almost the entire team to close the gap,” Skjelmose told TV2 Sport.

The Dane admitted he was surprised to find himself helping lead the chase.

“I was not quite ready for it, because I did not think that it was my job to be there [front of peloton]. So it also came as a surprise to me that we were not there [in the breakaway],” he said.

Philipsen explained that joining the breakaway had not been a pre-planned move, but it quickly became a rare opportunity to recover ground on Pedersen at an intermediate sprint, where the Dane has been ever-present so far this Tour.

“It wasn't planned, but we saw an opportunity,” Philipsen told Sporza. “Girmay and Pedersen had missed the boat but managed to salvage the situation in the end.”

Despite the Pedersen group being able to bridge across, Philipsen felt there was little more that could have been done to keep the chasers at bay.

“We were doing 53 km/h at that point. There was nothing more we could do. We can't ride faster than fast, after all. Just how fast were they riding behind us? 60 km/h?"

With two difficult stages ahead of the second rest day, Philipsen trails Pedersen by 41 points in the battle for green, with Girmay a further three points behind the Belgian. 

With limited opportunities remaining for the fast men at this year’s Tour, Philipsen acknowledged the severity of overcoming the Dane, though he insisted he will not give up the ghost.

“The difference is still significant, so it’s going to be a tough task. We’ll keep fighting with everything we’ve got until Paris. It’s nice to still have a goal,” said Philipsen. “I’m happy with how I’m feeling now. It’s just a good week too late.”