"For me, a line has been drawn under it" - Jasper Philipsen responds to Wout van Aert's claims he's avoiding personal apology after Tour de France controversy

One of the running themes of the 2024 Tour de France has been drama between Belgian compatriots Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen. Sadly, the pair continue to trade barbs via post and pre-stage interviews, even now, more than halfway through the Grand Tour.

It all started back on stage 6. Philipsen had initially crossed the line in second, but the Alpecin-Deceuninck man was subsequently relegated by the race jury due to what they perceived as a dangerous move in the final sprint where he almost forced van Aert into the barriers. Post-stage, van Aert lashed out at Philipsen. “I was closed in again by Jasper Philipsen. That’s a bad habit of his,” the 29-year-old fumed. “It wasn’t super dangerous, I could still get to the brakes. But I was at the same height and he really went to the fences. He felt me, that’s not professional closing the door.”

Although Alpecin-Deceuninck were far from happy with the race jury's decision, Philipsen nevertheless took to Instagram the following day to offer his apologies. "Of course I’m disappointed to be relegated yesterday after a very hectic sprint. I want to apologise to Wout van Aert. I was in no way trying to box him in or force him into the barriers on purpose," he explains. "Like every sprinter, I’m super competitive and want to win every sprint stage but not at all costs to another rider’s safety."

Despite this apology via social media, a face to face apology has just to happen. "I read his apologies on Instagram, but I haven't received a personal apology. That's not how I would have handled it," van Aert said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws. "I tried to talk to him in the peloton, but he wasn’t interested."

Now, in his pre-stage 12 interview, Philipsen has explained the lack of a face to face clearing of the air between himself and van Aert. "There was no conversation and for me, a line has been drawn under it," he tells HBVL. "It's true that Wout spoke to me during the Saturday stage. However, I was so focused – that stage was important for us – and things were really going fast in the peloton at that moment, that it didn't lead to a conversation. Wout will probably be riding around with more surplus than me."