Philipsen and Girmay are sharpening their knives, with both green and yellow up for grabs: "Never had that chance before"

Le Grand Départ will take place in Lille next year. The Tour de France kicks off with a flat stage, the first time since 2020, back when Alexander Kristoff took the yellow. "The first stage in Lille is immediately a great opportunity," Philipsen told Het Nieuwsblad. "It’s rare for sprinters to compete for the yellow jersey. I’ve never had that chance in my career, so I’m really excited," said the nine-time stage winner. In the last edition, Philipsen won three stages.

The 2023 green jersey winner sees plenty of opportunities for the fast men. "I think there will be seven or eight chances for the pure sprinters, but I still need to look at the details more closely." He also sees chances in the tougher stages. "Those stages might suit me as well, but it will mostly depend on my form at the time. The real mountain stages, like the one to La Plagne, seem very challenging, but overall, I’m happy."

While the Belgian is already eagerly looking ahead to the start in Lille, the 2025 annual planning hasn’t been finalized yet. For now, the focus is on rest. "The Tour is normally on my schedule, yes, but at the moment, everyone is still enjoying their vacation. So we’ll have to wait and see how the exact planning shapes up," Philipsen concluded. Teammate Mathieu van der Poel recently mentioned that he’s still unsure about participating in the 2025 Tour, though the route reveal might make his decision easier.

At Intermarché-Wanty, they don’t have the same luxury, as everything revolves around their star leader, Girmay. The African rider won three stages in the past Tour, securing the points classification as well. "I had an incredible experience this year. In 2025, the Tour will be one of my big goals again," Girmay stated in a press release issued by his team. "I will try to be at the top of my game to win again. The possibility for a sprinter to win the first stage and wear the yellow jersey is a great opportunity for a rider like me. There seems to be a good balance between stages for pure sprinters and others."

Team manager Aike Visbeek sees plenty of opportunities for Girmay. "At first glance, the 2025 Tour de France offers a balanced route, the presence of several finals for punchers should lead to thrilling stages and great opportunities for our riders. We will have to study these stages like in Mûr-de-Bretagne, Rouen and Boulogne-sur-Mer which could constitute an interesting terrain for Biniam."