Jasper Philipsen heads to the upcoming Tour de France as part of a strong Alpecin-Deceuninck team that has the strength to battle for stages on a number of fronts. And it is indeed stages that Philipsen himself will be targeting first and foremost, not the Green Jersey.
“For now it is not a main goal, but it can still become that," the Belgian sprint star tells HUMO. "When Wout van Aert sets his sights on it, it becomes difficult: of all the fast men, he is the fastest over the mountains. Only: he has already indicated a few times that the green is not his main goal this year. If so, my chances increase.”
Alongside Mathieu van der Poel, Philipsen's chances of stage wins look good. If he can live up to those expectations in a star-filled race full of some of the fastest men on two wheels, the points will follow whether he is targeting them or not.
“With Mathieu there, we have a huge asset in our lead-out: he counts for two riders. The power he develops is unseen," continues Philipsen. “Last winter we adjusted our approach: I went on altitude training and then trained mainly with the classic riders. I focused less on the sprint. That is why the team remains vigilant. This is my third year: they know my body. The fact that I don't seem to have lost my fast legs gives me peace of mind.”
Here they are, our eight names for @LeTour! Announced yesterday live on @GoZwift, and a final overview here again. 🇫🇷💛 What’s your last message for these riders, starting in Bilbao on Saturday? Drop it in the comments! 💬 #AlpecinDeceuninck #LeTour #LaGrandeBoucle #GrandDepart
