A devastated Andy Murray was left questioning his motivation to keep going after Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back to win their delayed second-round clash on Centre Court.

The Scot was two sets to one up overnight after the 11pm curfew came into play but he was unable to complete the job, with fifth seed Tsitsipas battling to a 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4 victory.

It was a hugely disappointing way for Murray to mark the 10th anniversary of his career-defining first Wimbledon title, and he is all too aware that his chances for another deep run here are ebbing away.

The 36-year-old is not yet ready to hang up his racket but it was clear how much this one hurt, and he said: “Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don’t necessarily help with that.

“It’s similar to, I guess, last year. I had a long think about things, spoke to my family, decided to keep on going.

“I don’t plan to stop right now. But this one will take a little while to get over. Hopefully (I’ll) find the motivation again to keep training, keep pushing, try and keep getting better.”

Murray missed the French Open to focus on his grass-court preparations and arrived at the All England Club feeling confident and healthy for the first time since winning his second title in 2016.

He was unfortunate to run into a top seed so early, and there were many aspects of his performance that were positive, but he clearly fancied his chances against Tsitsipas on grass.

For all his incredible efforts at the Australian Open this year and other close calls, he has not gone beyond the third round at a grand slam since his hip problems began back in 2017.

There was very little to choose between the pair throughout this contest, with both players dropping serve just once.

But Tsitsipas’ break in the third game of the deciding set proved the crucial one after the Greek had withstood pressure from Murray to force another tie-break in the fourth.

The crowd willed Murray to find a way back into the match and he saved two match points in the final game, but Tsitsipas clinched his third with an ace to set up a very winnable third round against Laslo Djere.

“You never know how many opportunities you’re going to get to play here,” said Murray. “The defeats maybe feel a bit tougher. But every year that Wimbledon’s not gone how I would like, it’s been hard.

“Obviously it’s brilliant to play in great atmospheres. It makes playing the matches more enjoyable and creates certainly better memories.

“But ultimately this was an opportunity for me. I had a good chance of having a proper run for the first time in a long time at a slam. I didn’t take it. Regardless of the atmosphere and those things, it’s still very, very disappointing to be sitting here right now.”

Murray looked on the verge of tears when he was informed during his press conference that a return he hit at 15-30 that was called out in fact clipped the line.

“That’s obviously frustrating because I remember,” he said. “I think it was a backhand cross-court return, very short. I probably would have won the point.”

Murray could have challenged the call but he criticised umpire Aurelie Tourte for not spotting the mistake.

“It was right underneath the umpire’s nose,” he said. “They shouldn’t be missing that. I assumed the umpire would have made the right call.”

Tennis is increasingly moving towards automated line calls, and Murray added: “Right now I obviously would rather it was done automatically. It’s a hard one because I probably prefer having the line judges on the court. It feels nicer to me.”

Murray had no complaints about the match being halted 20 minutes before the curfew on Thursday at the end of the third set or the fact it resumed with the roof open, changing the conditions.

“My opinion is that this is an outdoor tournament,” he said. “They should be trying their hardest to play as much tennis outdoors as possible.”

Murray, meanwhile, had sparked alarm right before the close of play on Thursday by screaming in pain and going down clutching his left hip, but there was no sign of any discomfort in the final two sets.

“I wouldn’t describe it as an injury,” he said. “I obviously slipped, had some initial pain and discomfort. It’s like sort of a jarring of the joint. It can be a little bit sore. I pulled up OK today.”

Liam Broady’s impressive Wimbledon journey is over after he was beaten in the third round by Denis Shapovalov.

The British number five enjoyed a dream Centre Court victory over fourth seed Casper Ruud on Thursday but he was unable to produce another shock, going down 4-6 6-2 7-5 7-5.

The defeat ended British interest in the men’s singles as Broady followed Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie out on a chastening afternoon for the male home players.

He will perhaps have some regrets as he served to go two sets to one up against Shapovalov, but will leave the tournament feeling proud of his efforts as the British man who got the furthest.

He matched his best performance at a grand slam and the £131,000 payday and rankings boost will make a tangible difference to his career, starting with the prospect of him making the US Open main draw next month.

There were questions over how he would pull up after Thursday’s five-setter, and with Shapovalov also playing on Thursday both men made an inauspicious start as there were four breaks of serve by the time it got to 3-3.

Broady began to find his rhythm against the below-par Canadian and pounced at 4-5, breaking for the third time to take the first set.

It was a typically erratic performance from the 26th seed, one moment ripping an unplayable one-handed backhand, the next missing an open-court volley but he managed get two breaks in the second set to level things up.

Helped by some more wayward Shapovalov hitting the Briton manoeuvred himself into a commanding position in the third set and he served for it at 5-3.

But the Canadian regained his level and reeled off four successive games to take a set that looked to have gone.

To his credit, Broady stuck with it in the fourth set, but Shapovalov struck at 5-5 and then served it out to end British hopes for another year, with all three men going out within an hour and a half of each other.

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 7.

Thoughts were with Edwin van der Sar.

England’s players arrived in Australia ahead of the Women’s World Cup.

Harry Kane wished England Under-21s luck ahead of their final.

Wilfried Zaha’s life was complete.

Pre-season training has well and truly begun.

A moment of magic from new Southampton manager Russell Martin.

Ruben Dias was enjoying his break.

Bernardo Silva was impressed.

John Terry was gutted to see his former team-mate leave Chelsea.

Trevoh Chalobah felt a similar way.

Former captain Michael Vaughan had his say on England’s Ashes performance.

Gary Lineker knows his cricket.

KP was optimistic.

Chris Eubank Jr remembered his late brother.

The Canberra Raiders players gave a nod to a controversial Ashes moment during their try celebration.

And Australian snooker star Neil Robertson enjoyed a twist in the tale…

but also made a point about the standard of cricket in the series.

Matteo Berrettini proved he is the nightmare draw for Wimbledon’s seeds after pulverising Alex De Minaur in straight sets.

Italian Berrettini, the runner-up in 2021, missed last year’s Championships with coronavirus and has endured an injury-hit season, meaning he was unable to defend his Queen’s Club title in the build-up to the Championships.

Having slipped down the rankings to 37, Berrettini is unseeded at SW19, but he showed his grass-court pedigree by dispatching Australian 15th seed De Minaur, who reached the Queen’s final this year, 6-3 6-4 6-4.

“Last year, what happened last year is something that I think it didn’t heal yet. It’s a really sharp pain, if I think about it,” he said.

“I probably was in the best shape in my career, especially feeling great on grass. I wanted to enjoy the tournament. Such a special tournament for me.

“Not being able to play was something that, even when I was better physically, was really tough mentally to overcome.

“That’s why I’m here this year, because I missed last year. I was really sad. Even playing like a few points would have been good this year.

“That’s why I’m really happy. I’m really glad. I know it’s the third round, but it feels like way more.”

Third seed Daniil Medvedev wasted little time finishing off his match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

The Russian was angry when play was suspended on Thursday evening while he led by two sets with the score at 4-4 in the third.

Medvedev returned to Court Two and duly completed a 6-3 6-3 7-6 (5) victory to set up a third-round meeting with Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

“It’s not easy to play two different days. The last time I had it, I lost to (Hubert) Hurkacz here two years ago,” he said.

“At 4-4, it’s never easy. Straight away you’re nervous, you don’t want to lose this set because the momentum of the match can change.

“So I’m happy that I managed to close it out on the tie-break. Happy that I managed to push it through and be here tomorrow.”

World number one Carlos Alcaraz toasted a “special” maiden win on Wimbledon’s Centre Court before he fired a warning to his rivals.

Alcaraz had to work hard to beat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-4 7-6 (2) 6-3 in a tough second-round contest that lasted two hours and 33 minutes on the main stage at the All England Club.

The Spaniard lost on Centre Court to Jannik Sinner last summer and despite combining 31 winners alongside 42 unforced errors against Muller, this latest victory made it seven successes in a row on the grass.

US Open champion Alcaraz has won his last 16 sets on English grass, but feels even better is to come ahead of a third-round meeting with Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

“Yeah, I feel that I can be better. Today I’m going to say it wasn’t my best match on grass, but I feel great,” Alcaraz insisted.

“I always say that doesn’t matter if you play a perfect match, you can be better. It’s my case.

“Of course it is really special to have my first win on Centre Court here in Wimbledon. A really beautiful court. I really wanted to have my first one.

“I feel that I belong in that court. I feel like I’m ready to play more matches, to play more great matches on that court.”

Nerves did appear to be present for Alcaraz during the early exchanges and he sprayed 10 unforced errors in the opening half an hour, but a 135mph ace seemed to ease his tension before he clinched a break in the next game as he edged a tight first set.

Muller, ranked 84 in the world, continued to take the match to Alcaraz, who saw four break points come and go at the start of the second set.

Alcaraz eventually had to go to a tie-break and he reserved his best tennis for the crunch moment. A volley at the net got him off the mark and he followed up with a succession of drops shots that helped him claim the second set.

More break point opportunities were squandered by the 20-year-old in sweltering heat with the roof open on Centre Court, but he eventually did break for only the second time in the match at 4-3 up in the third.

Match point was brought up with a 116mph ace and, although Muller briefly stole the show with a stunning backhand return, another big forehand winner from Alcaraz confirmed his 42nd win of the season.

The first seed added: “A little bit (nervous) at the beginning, but the experience that I had last year help me a lot to manage the nerves better than the last year.

“Of course, the round is different, playing the fourth round against Sinner. It was different. This time I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot.

“I felt different from Centre Court than the Court One. I felt the Centre Court is faster for me than the Court One. It was different for me.

“At the beginning the match was long, let’s say, and I adjust very well until the end.”

Victory for Alcaraz means he remains on collision course to meet defending champion Novak Djokovic, who is chasing a record-equalling eighth title in SW19, in the final on July 14.

But the 20-year-old said: “It would be amazing for me to play a final here in Wimbledon, even better if it is against Novak obviously, but there’s a lot of great players playing here on grass, that feel really, really comfortable on grass.

“I have to be really, really focused until the final. It’s a lot of matches ahead. I have to play my best in every match.

“Let’s see if I reach the final or not.”

Andy Murray suffered more Wimbledon heartache with a five-set defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas in their delayed second-round clash.

The Scot was two sets to one up overnight when the 11pm curfew came into play but he was unable to complete the job, with fifth seed Tsitsipas fighting back to win 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4.

It was a hugely disappointing way for Murray to mark the 10th anniversary of his career-defining first Wimbledon title, and he is all too aware that his chances for another deep run here are ebbing away.

He missed the French Open to focus on his grass-court preparations and arrived at the All England Club feeling confident and healthy for the first time since winning his second title in 2016.

He was unfortunate to run into a top seed so early, and there were many aspects of his performance that were positive, but he would have fancied his chances against Tsitsipas on grass and this one will sting.

The match began under the roof on Thursday but there were blue skies above on the hottest day of the tournament so far when the players returned to Centre Court.

Murray had sparked alarm right at the end of the set by screaming in pain and going down clutching his left groin but he practised as normal ahead of the match and there was no sign of any discomfort.

The breezy conditions perhaps contributed to more errors from both than was the case in the first part of the match, while nerves were sure to play their part with the contest already so close to its conclusion.

Tsitsipas’ backhand leaked a substantial number of errors but his serve was again working beautifully and Murray was unable to force a break point, the 36-year-old smacking the net in frustration as another close game got away.

He had clearly been eager to avoid the lottery of another tie-break and, in a repeat of the first-set shoot-out, it was Tsitsipas who won the final four points.

Murray’s strategy to relentlessly probe the Greek’s backhand was perhaps becoming a little predictable, and he was in serious trouble when Tsitsipas created three break points in the third game of the deciding set, taking the third to break serve for the first time.

Willed on by the crowd, Murray tried to find a way back but Tsitsipas continued to serve very strongly.

Still there was hope as the home favourite saved two match points but he clinched it on his third chance with his 17th ace to book a third-round clash with Laslo Djere.

Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round knockout to Chris Eubanks to end his Wimbledon hopes.

The British number one was left dazed by American Eubanks’ powerful hitting and his haymaker of a serve in a punishing 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6 (3) defeat.

In a heavyweight start to the contest, the first 20 points all went with serve including nine aces, seven from the arm of Eubanks.

And it was the world number 43 who landed the first blow, breaking Norrie to love on his way to taking the opening set.

Norrie, the 12th seed and a semi-finalist last year, had barely laid a glove on his opponent, winning just three points on the Eubanks serve.

But the South-African-born southpaw hauled himself off the canvas and secured an early break in the second set to level the match.

However, Norrie has looked ring-rusty in recent months and Eubanks, a grass-court title-winner in Mallorca in June, took advantage by breaking twice for the third set.

Eubanks dropped his guard in the fourth, losing his serve to love, but he hit back for 4-4 to leave Norrie on the ropes.

Norrie survived a match point on serve when a Eubanks forehand thudded into the net.

But Eubanks was too strong in the tie-break, a quick one-two of a booming forehand and delicate volley leaving Norrie out for the count.

Lewis Hamilton finished only 15th in practice on a troubling day for the home favourite at the British Grand Prix.

As a dominant Max Verstappen carried over his crushing form to a sizzling Silverstone by completing an ominous practice double, Hamilton’s Mercedes team laboured in the heat.

Hamilton finished 12th in the opening running, and then ended the day three places further back, 1.2 seconds adrift of Verstappen.

Fellow Briton George Russell was a few places better off in 12th in the other Mercedes.

Carlos Sainz took second for Ferrari, 0.022 sec behind Verstappen, with Alex Albon an impressive third in his Williams. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez finished fourth, with Albon’s Williams team-mate Logan Sargeant fifth.

Verstappen, a winner at seven of the opening nine rounds of a one-sided campaign, has already established a commanding 81-point lead in his pursuit of a hat-trick of world championships.

The Dutch driver cruised to the chequered flag a week ago at Red Bull’s home race in Austria, and he will head into the remainder of the weekend as the driver to beat following an emphatic start at Silverstone.

Hamilton has won seven of the last 10 races staged here, but the Mercedes man will have to upset the odds to add to his tally on Sunday.

Hamilton has a new front wing as Mercedes hope to claw back the deficit to their rivals. But their star driver was on the radio complaining about the bouncing his machine was suffering from, while Russell was also on the intercom to bemoan his unruly Mercedes.

“I have no grip,” reported Russell. “The car is sliding all over the place.”

Hamilton is in the midst of another up-and-down campaign. He arrived at the last round in Spielberg following consecutive podium finishes, but Mercedes struggled at the Red Bull Ring.

Hamilton crossed the line in seventh and was demoted to eighth following a second timed penalty, and on the evidence of practice, he may be braced for another underwhelming weekend.

Despite the threat of action from Just Stop Oil protesters, both practice sessions passed off without incident.

However, F1 bosses, Silverstone and Northamptonshire Police remain on high alert that a protest could yet disrupt qualifying on Saturday and Sunday’s 52-lap race where 150,000 spectators are expected to attend.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris was only 14th for McLaren, while Charles Leclerc finished rooted to the bottom of the order.

The Monegasque was ruled out of the second running with an electrical failure on his Ferrari.

Mark Cavendish hung his head in disappointment after watching Jasper Philipsen blast by him at the last to deny the Manxman a record-breaking Tour de France victory on the line in Bordeaux.

The script seemed perfect for Cavendish to take a 35th career Tour stage win and move clear of Eddy Merckx – 16 years to the day after he made his Tour debut in London in 2007, and in Bordeaux, scene of his 14th win the last time the Tour visited in 2010 and for so long the race’s home of sprinting.

And when he burst down the right-hand side, hugging the barriers, to power into the lead with 200 metres to go it looked like it was going to happen for the 38-year-old, his head down, teeth gritted and legs pumping.

But, with the line in sight, Cavendish’s gears jumped twice and he had to drop back into the saddle, the moment’s pause enough to allow Philipsen to come by and claim a third win from as many sprint stages in this year’s Tour – five from five dating back to last year.

“I was in quite a good position, I looked far back but I was OK in where I wanted to be,” Cavendish said of the twisty run to the long finishing straight. “It was a long straight finish and Cees (Bol) had moved me up with good speed in the last K. I was on the right wheels.

“I kicked a little earlier than I would have liked but still about the same as I did in 2010. But once I kicked, started, the gears jumped from 11 to 12 and I had to sit down, the cadence just whacked up, then it goes back to 11.

“I tried to stand up and it went back to the 12 so I had to sit down, there’s nothing you can do except kind of hope.

“I’m bitterly disappointed, majorly disappointed but we keep on trying. Again we saw an improvement out of the boys so we can be positive.”

Cavendish had stopped for a rear wheel change with around 57km of the stage remaining, a precursor to the mechanical problems that followed. But asked if he could challenge Philipsen on a fully-functioning machine, he said: “I think so.”

The sprint finish to the 170km stage from Mont-de-Marsan meant no major changes at the top of the general classification, in which defending champion Jonas Vingegaard leads from Tadej Pogacar by 25 seconds.

But all eyes had been on the quick men as the race returned to the city which, prior to the Champs-Elysees, was the king of sprinting in the Tour.

And Philipsen is, so far at least, the king of sprinting in this edition, with his Alpecin-Deceuninck lead-out train once again delivering him to the perfect position, navigating what was a very technical final four kilometres disrupted by construction work before the long boulevard finish.

“I think we can’t be proud enough of our team achievement,” the Belgian said. “Without them it would never be possible to get the third stage win already. I’m just really proud of them and how we worked together, how we found each other in the final.

“That leads to success and I’m super happy and proud… I never had to do a big effort before I could launch my sprint and that’s how we win.

“If you told me (three stage wins) one week ago I’d think you were crazy. So far it’s a dream Tour for us and hopefully we can add another one.

“(Cavendish) was really strong. I would also have loved to see him win, I think everybody would, but I’m sure he will keep on trying. He’s up there, in good condition, and it will be hard.”

Tom Marquand guided Savvy Victory from last to first to land a decisive blow in the Davies Insurance Solutions Gala Stakes at Sandown.

The Sean Woods-trained four-year-old for this Listed contest seeking compensation for a luckless run at Royal Ascot when badly hampered at a vital stage in the Wolferton Stakes.

Sent off the 17-2 outsider, Marquand was in no rush aboard the son of New Bay as Ryan Moore aboard the King and Queen’s Saga led the select quartet in the opening stages.

Marquand was still anchored in rear when 6-4 favourite Poker Face cruised into contention in the home straight and appeared the most likely winner when moving alongside Saga.

But with his challenge petering out and Saga’s petrol tank also emptying in the closing stages, it was left to Savvy Victory to surge his way to victory and register a going-away two-and-three-quarter-length success.

It was Woods’ second Listed success since returning to the UK training ranks from Hong Kong. But while Savvy Victory was cut to 16-1 from 33s by Paddy Power for the John Smith’s Cup at York later this month, he is unlikely to be seen on the Knavesmire.

Woods said: “It was a race that was made for us, as he could sit out the back and with four runners, he could come at the race in his own time.

“It is not the ground he likes, but we’ve got away with it today. It is drying all the time. We walked it after the Marathon and if there had been eight or nine runners he wouldn’t have been running today.

“I’m happy that we did and happy that we won, and delighted as the horse really deserves it.

“I think it is perfect ground. I wouldn’t be frightened of galloping anything on it. They made a good print. But he’s a horse that showed us he wants soft ground, he has had a couple of unlucky stories, but he’s grown up so much from three to four.

“I can’t thank the owners enough for leaving him here, because he could be in Hong Kong, but they understood he wants soft ground and they are big supporters. He means a lot to me, this horse.”

He added: “He’s in the John Smith’s and he would have had a very good chance if the ground came, but we chose to come here instead and we’re glad it has worked out. We definitely won’t go to York.

“We’ll be ruled by the weather, because he is a big colt. It is just a pleasure to have him this year, because he has just grown up.

“I’m sure there is a good one in him and it needs to be heavy and run where we don’t get any hard luck stories. It is just patience.”

Anne Keothavong has backed Katie Boulter to give “vulnerable” defending champion Elena Rybakina a run for her money at Wimbledon.

The British number one is through to the third round for the second year in a row and has been rewarded with a plum tie against the third seed.

Rybakina has built impressively on her first grand slam title, reaching the final of the Australian Open and winning the big events in Indian Wells and Rome, but she came into the event under-cooked after illness and has looked shaky at times in her opening two matches.

Keothavong, the captain of Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup team, said of Boulter, who won her first WTA Tour event in Nottingham last month: “She’s been playing some fantastic tennis.

“It’s not just this tournament but over the last few weeks. It’s taken time for all of that to come together. And the biggest thing is she’s been able to remain fit and healthy for a long period of time, which for Katie has always been a challenge.

“It doesn’t get any easier again but Rybakina hasn’t really come into this year’s champs playing lots of tennis. I think this is a good time for Katie to play against her, or for anyone really to play against her, she has looked vulnerable at times.

“And, if you were to be in Rybakina’s shoes, you’re up against a British number one who is popular, who the British public are now familiar with, who will have the majority of that crowd supporting her, which is a situation I don’t think Rybakina has found herself in really anywhere around the world too often.

“Katie, she’s a big-match player, she will absolutely love it. It won’t be a daunting experience for her, which I think is a big thing. It’s not the first time for her going out on Centre Court. Having had that previous experience, that will help carry her.

“It’s a great opportunity. And it’s one where she can swing with freedom and go out there and play.”

Boulter claimed the biggest victory of her career so far in the second round last year against former finalist Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court.

“I think I’ve got the whole entire thing in my memory,” she said. “It was an incredible match. I still think about the time that I served it out. That’s something that I draw on.

“I’m already excited to play against a top player and have a go. I think they’re the moments I get excited for because ultimately it’s a time for me to test myself.”

Boulter will hit a career-high ranking around 70 even if she loses on Saturday and Keothavong highlighted the greater variety she has added to her game under coach Biljana Veselinovic as a key factor in her progress.

“You can see she’s trying to use the drop shot more often, she is trying to look to use width more often,” said Keothavong. “So it’s not just straight flat-ball hitting through the court.

“And that’s the work she has been doing and focusing on with Biljana. And I do think Biljana has been fantastic for her. The team she has around her, they’re all good people. And she’s had some consistency there in that area.”

Boulter is also very settled in her personal life and was out on Court 18 on Friday watching long-term boyfriend Alex De Minaur in his second-round loss to Matteo Berrettini.

Boulter has spoken about how much she has learned from the Australian’s grounded nature, and Keothavong believes they are a good influence on each other.

“Alex is so down to earth and so lovely,” said the former British number one. “They are sickly in a very cute kind of way.

“You can tell how much they care for each other and how much they support each other and it was great to see him court-side supporting her after his match and you see it within their families as well.

“It’s hard enough being a tennis player, the emotional highs and lows. You need people around you who are going to stay level-headed and not look too far ahead or get too excited but help you keep your feet on the ground.”

Rybakina does not expect the partisan atmosphere to be too much of a challenge, saying: “For sure the atmosphere is going to be a bit different. The crowd won’t be supporting me that much.

“I’m sure it’s going to be good. Just hopefully I’m going to win this match. I’ll try my best. She’s a tough player. Her game is aggressive. Also she has a good serve. It’s going to be tough one.”

Jasper Philipsen denied Mark Cavendish a record-breaking Tour de France victory on the line as the Belgian won stage seven on the line in Bordeaux.

Philipsen made it three wins from three sprint stages in a row in this Tour as he came around Cavendish in the final few metres, leaving the Manxman to curse as he rolled in second, still tied with Eddy Merckx on 34 career Tour wins.

The 38-year-old had come from well down in the pack to power his way down the right hand side and up to the front of the race, but Philipsen got onto his wheel and powered by, with Biniam Girmay in third.

The sprint finish to the 170km stage from Mont-de-Marsan meant no major changes at the top of the general classification, in which defending champion Jonas Vingegaard leads from Tadej Pogacar.

But all eyes had been on the sprinters, with Cavendish hoping to make more Tour history 16 years to the day since he made his debut in the race in London on 2007.

The Astana-Qazaqstan rider was several places down in the pack as they negotiated a tight and twisty approach to the long finishing straight but moved up well and looked to have the speed he needed as he found a path down the right hand side to reach the front, only to see Philipsen come past at the last.

Philipsen said: “I think we can’t be proud enough on our team achievement. Without them it would never be possible to get the third stage win already. I’m just really proud of them and how we worked together, how we found each other in the final.

“That leads to success and I’m super happy and proud…I never had to do a big effort before I could launch my sprint and that’s how we win.

“If you told me (three stage wins) one week ago I’d think you were crazy. So far it’s a dream Tour for us and hopefully we can add another one.

“(Cavendish) was really strong. I would also have loved to see him win, I think everybody would, but I’m sure he will keep on trying. He’s up there, in good condition, and it will be hard.”