"He loves helping his teammates win, and that makes him a wonderful person": Jasper Philipsen seals dream Champs-Élysées 1-2 behind winner Mathieu van der Poel
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen narrowly missed out on victory on the Champs-Élysées, but there was no disappointment on the Belgian's face after the finish. Instead, he celebrated one of the most memorable moments of Alpecin-Deceuninck's Tour de France as Mathieu van der Poel held off the peloton to claim a stunning solo victory, with Philipsen completing a perfect one-two for the team.
Philipsen refused to deny Van der Poel
Philipsen admitted the chaotic finale unfolded almost too quickly to process, but the result exceeded anything the team could have hoped for. “The final metres went by so fast, but everything fell our way. It was truly unbelievable,” he said in a post-race interview.
Alpecin-Deceuninck finished first and second in spectacular fashion, capping off another hugely successful Tour de France, as they secured three stage victories. “This is something we did for the team, and it will remain a highlight for a very long time.”
Read also
The Belgian explained that few riders have sacrificed more for their teammates than Van der Poel throughout the years. “Mathieu has done so much for me in the past. Besides being a great champion, he's an incredible teammate. He's a true friend and completely selfless.”
Philipsen emphasized that Van der Poel's commitment extends far beyond helping him alone. “Not only for me, but for the whole team, he's incredibly strong.”
Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen at the Tour de France 2026
A selfless champion
According to Philipsen, Van der Poel takes as much satisfaction from helping others win as he does from his own victories. “He loves helping his teammates win, and that makes him a wonderful person.”
Van der Poel has repeatedly played a decisive role in Philipsen's biggest victories, including his triumph at Milan-San Remo in 2024. More recently, he delivered another textbook lead-out during stage 17 of this year's Tour de France, helping Philipsen finally secure his first stage victory of the race.
This time, however, the roles were reversed. Van der Poel crossed the line first, with Philipsen proudly following him home to complete an unforgettable one-two for Alpecin-Deceuninck.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
claps 4visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment