Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel won the hilly second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday after holding off defending champion Tadej Pogačar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard in a sprint to the line.

Philipsen will probably have to contend with Merlier and Milan this time, but he looks to be peaking for the time of the season which matters most. A second Tour de France stage win of 2025, and an 11th overall, could be coming for the 28-year-old.

Follow live text updates on stage one of the Tour de France in Lille, as Jasper Philipsen wins sprint finish to claim yellow jersey.