"He has received several death threats" - Partner of Jasper Philipsen disgusted by social media abuse
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen was one of the stars of the 2023 Tour de France, winning four stages and the Green Jersey for the points classification. This success did not come without controversy however and the Belgian's partner has revealed some of the horrific messages he has received on social media.
“The messages Jasper has received are really not nice. Many people underestimate the mental impact of this,” laments a disgusted Melanie Peetermans to Vive le Vélo following the conclusion of the 2023 Tour de France. “Through social media he has received several death threats, then I wonder why. You don't even know him."
As mentioned, despite Philipsen's success there has been controversy. Most notably on the occasion when Philipsen physically tried to block a Pascal Eenkhoorn attack. However, there is no excuse for anyone to receive such abuse from so-called cycling fans.
“People make judgments about him based on a 10-second clip on television. They forget that the riders have to make quick decisions while sprinting," continues Peetermans. "In retrospect you see everything slowed down and you can say what had to be done differently. For the sprinter himself, however, it is not a video game.”
“This really hurts me,” Peetermans concludes. “There was one stage he won, where right after the finish he said, 'Oh no, they wrote something about me again.' That you think about that when you win a stage in the Tour de France is very bad. I hope the storm passes soon and people realize what a good person Jasper is.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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