"This isn’t the first time he’s taken unnecessary risks but to risk your life for 10 points? That’s just insane" - Jasper Philpsen's teammate slams Bryan Coquard

Jasper Philipsen has sadly had to abandon the 2025 Tour de France, and in the opinion of one of his teammates at least, the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Cofidis sprinter Bryan Coquard.

Immediately following the violent crash at the intermediate sprint that left Philipsen crumbled in a battered and bloody heap, Jonas Rickaert was seen visibly remonstrating with Coquard and after crossing the finish line, he again confronted the Frenchman. By the time Rickaert reached the microphone of Sporza, he had still not cooled his fury.

"To me, it looked like he rode straight into Jasper. Maybe he slipped out of his pedal?" Rickaert begins, still visibly raging at the thought of the incident and his the perceived actions of Coquard. "I was furious at first – I wanted answers. He claimed he couldn’t help it, but this isn’t the first time he’s taken unnecessary risks in an intermediate sprint. And for what? At best he’s finishing sixth in that classification. If he wants to contest the final sprint, fair enough – that’s for the stage win. But to risk your life for 10 points? That’s just insane."

It wasn't just Coquard in Rickaert's firing line either, with the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider frustrated at the attitude of some others in the peloton. "I couldn’t understand why they were riding so nervously with still 100 kilometres to go," he questions. "Maybe the other team directors are on a different channel than we are. Or maybe I’m just getting old."

Alpecin-Dececuninck team boss Philip Roodhooft was notably less fiery in his Sporza interview. "In a split second, you tumble from euphoria to bitter disappointment," he reflects ruefully. "We were watching the race on the team bus when we saw Jasper go down. It was immediately clear that it was serious."

"In a split second, the mood shifts completely. The hospital confirmed a broken collarbone, though that much was already quite evident," he adds, unlike Rickaert, not holding a grudge against Coquard. "There’s a difference between cause and fault. The bottom line is that Jasper never stood a chance. It makes sense that riders sprint when there's a line to be crossed – that's just racing. But these things can happen. The consequences are unfortunately devastating for us. For Jasper, of course, but also for the whole team."