"I knew what I was doing" - Sven Vanthourenhout beams after his two-leaders strategy pays off at the European Championships
Cycling
Sven Vanthourenhout went all or nothing with the selection for the home European Championships. Belgian fans - still vividly remembering the failed World Championships in Leuven 2021 were afraid the scenario might repeat with too many leaders in the basket. But the Belgian coach's gamble had paid off as it is Tim Merlier who crossed the line first in Hasselt.
Vanthourenhout admits bringing both Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen was a huge gamble, but a well-calculated one - he assures in an interview for Belgian media after the race. "You know that winning and losing are close together when you go into a final like that. But I really knew what I was doing. And I stood behind my choice 100% until the very last moment. The right one, as it turned out."
"Merlier and Philipsen are two separate sprinters, each with their own specific way of getting to the finish line. Bert Van Lerberghe would come as late as possible with Tim, while Jasper had to be piloted by all the other available cones. That's how we settled it on Saturday evening at the last meeting."
"With me, no one leaves before everyone else agrees and is on the same wavelength. Because I really don't want any whining afterwards," he explains. "Everything went as agreed. The only difference was that Jasper no longer had the acceleration in his legs that Tim could still put in place. Otherwise we would have finished first and second!"
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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