Green Jersey: Girmay and Philipsen's last chance tomorrow

Mads Pedersen finished only eleventh in the adrenaline-fueled and lightning-fast sprint of stage 11 of the Tour de France in Nevers, yet the day's final result worked in his favor. It was enough to further cement his grip on the green points jersey, with only one flat stage left on the schedule. The points classification is his: it'll be up to him not to lose it.

Pedersen leads the standings with 317 points , ahead of Biniam Girmay (NSN) on 272. With third place in Nevers, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) moved up to 255 points, while Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quickstep), a double stage winner, slipped to fifth place with 223. Max Kanter (XDS-Astana), Pedersen’s bitter rival in the intermediate sprints, is fourth with 203 points, and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) is a long way behind in sixth place with just 160 points.

Pedersen's lead over Girmay shrunk from 54 to 45 points, but his rivals' failure to win meant this sprint stage was an overall positive result for the Dane.

" I can consider myself lucky that Philipsen, Girmay, or Kanter didn't win the stage. It's sad to say, but that's the game when you're fighting for the points jersey ," Pedersen admitted to Eurosport after donning the precious green jersey once again. It's the seventh time he's worn it since triumphing on stage 4 to Foix.

Philipsen , Girmay and Merlier lived the day with frustration for different reasons, while Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) made an early attack to win the fastest stage in Tour de France history.

Merlier even remained fifteenth at the finish, where positioning, determination, and elbows were crucial at high speed. Girmay finished sixth, while Philipsen—third at the finish—was first demoted and then reinstated in the standings after his team's appeal.

" The sprint wasn't good enough, but otherwise it went well. I still have the jersey today and I hope to wear it tomorrow too ," Pedersen said.

Stage 12 to Chalon-sur-Saône should still be a sprinters' stage, with a maximum of 70 points up for grabs. While Pedersen can't match the raw speed of his rivals, he can still try to score points and limit the damage. After Chalon-sur-Saône, the battle for the green jersey should gradually shift in his favor, with breakaways from afar and the fight for the general classification set to dominate the remaining stages.

While the sprinters will focus on surviving the challenging stages, Pedersen will be able to focus on intermediate sprints or even join a strategic breakaway, as could happen on stage 17 to Voiron. Lidl-Trek will also be able to send its own men on the attack to make life difficult for their rivals in the sprints of the following stages.

Pedersen will even have one last chance for points on stage 21 to Paris, with the intermediate sprint scheduled on the Champs-Élysées, before the three ascents of the Côte de la Butte Montmartre.

" After stage 12, we'll have finished with the real sprint stages, with all the big points up for grabs, and I'll still be in the running for the green light," Pedersen emphasized. "Our approach won't change, but after stage 12, we'll start to be everywhere with the team. That's the plan from here to Paris. "