“I actually hate sprinting on cobblestones" - Jasper Philipsen a frustrated third at Nokere Koerse

Despite having high hopes, Jasper Philipsen couldn't add Nokere Koerse to his growing palmares of victories on Wednesday afternoon, finishing third behind Tim Merlier and Fabio Jakobsen.

“The sprint did not go as planned, but that is now the case. I arrived with a lot of speed in the final kilometre, but lost it quickly," Philipsen reflected frustratingly in his post-race interview, finishing third at Nokere Koerse for the second time in his career having also done so in 2019.

"Tim Merlier was able to maintain that speed and I then had to accelerate again. Then it was already lost. My momentum was completely gone,” the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader continues. “I actually hate sprinting on cobblestones. I can't put my speed on it. So I will have to approach it differently if I come back here."

Nevertheless, looking forward, Philipsen remains optimistic he can secure some big results in the coming weeks and months. "I enjoyed being able to participate in the race today, I can do that at this level. I therefore go to Milan-San Remo with a good feeling. This gives confidence,” he concludes.