TOUR DE FRANCE 2025 - In tears, Bryan Coquard apologizes to Philipsen: all the reactions

Eurosport France

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A few minutes after the stage finished, the video shows Bryan Coquard in the mixed zone, tears in his eyes, aware that he had seriously impeded Jasper Philipsen in the final sprint. Questioned by reporters, the Cofidis sprinter admits he drifted about half a metre to the left just as Philipsen was launching his surge. Coquard explains that he felt a light gust of wind, lost the ideal line and reacted too late; he offers repeated apologies to the Belgian, to his team and to the public. His voice cracks when the slow-motion footage appears on the paddock’s giant screen, confirming the swerve that nearly caused Philipsen to crash.

The sequence continues with Jasper Philipsen’s immediate reaction. Initially visibly annoyed, the reigning green-jersey winner puts things into perspective after seeing Coquard’s distress: “He came over to talk to me; he was crying. I felt it was sincere.” The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider nevertheless regrets losing the stage and points out the recurring issue of line deviations in sprints. He calls on the UCI to enforce stricter regulations to protect sprinters, while refusing to demand any sanction harsher than the simple relegation already imposed.

The sports directors then weigh in. Cédric Vasseur accepts his rider’s mistake but insists on Coquard’s good faith, reminding everyone that a Tour stage podium carries immense pressure. Christoph Roodhooft, for his part, estimates that Philipsen would have won “99 percent” without the deviation and says his team “will move on, but will remember the lesson.”

The panel of pundits ends the video by emphasising the human dimension of the incident: the anguish of a French rider seeking his first Tour victory colliding with the unforgiving reality of the rulebook. They also discuss the psychological impact these images may have on Coquard ahead of the next bunch finishes, while Philipsen, despite his frustration, strengthens his status as favourite for the 2025 Tour de France green jersey

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