"I never thought I would become anything like a GC rider" - Jasper Philipsen wins his second stage race of the season

Cycling
Monday, 24 August 2026 at 06:00
Jasper Philipsen at the 2026 Tour de France
Jasper Philipsen left no doubt about who's the main protagonist at Renewi Tour as he won the final stage, alongside an overall title. For the Belgian, it was his third stage win in this year's edition, sending a clear message to his rivals for the rest of this season.

Philipsen rose from chaos

It is fair to note that a number of Philipsen's sprinter opponents have been involved in crashes across the previous days, clearing the path for Philipsen to shine in Ardooie, Bilzen-Hoeselt, and finally in Leuven today. In general classification, that means that Philipsen wins with ahead of Jenno Berckmoes and Olav Kooij.
"The team was motivated for the overall victory," Philipsen appreciated his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammates' efforts. "Everyone did their best and rode for all they were worth. It is great that we were able to control the race and then finish it off in the sprint."
Philipsen did not finish outside the top-4 in a single stage. A positive signal to the last part of the season. "I should check the statistics sometime, but this is certainly one of my better weeks on the bike. That is absolutely true."

Birth of new GC star?

This is already Philipsen's second GC victory of 2026. In June, he prevailed at another Belgian stage race; the Baloise Belgium Tour (2.Pro). Though a sprinter by nature, Philipsen's versatility allows him to compete in similar stage races, and perhaps he'll focus on this aspect of racing a bit more in the future.
"I never thought I would become anything like a general classification rider, but maybe I should adjust that ambition a bit. Maybe a five-day stage race without a time trial is made for me."
For a sprinter, he considers two overall victories in short stage races remarkable. "It is unique to be able to win my first two stage races in the general classification. As a sprinter, that is certainly not easy."
It's also an important victory for sponsors of the Belgian team. "That is of great importance, both for the team and for myself. In this form, it is naturally a bit more enjoyable to head into the next race."
Next on the menu is the Bretagne Classic on coming Sunday. With World Championships and European Championships too difficult for Philipsen, there's no clear objective left in 2026, and Philipsen himself admits that he's going to savor this victory a little before moving on to future appointments with notable ease of mind.
claps 0visitors 0
loading

Just in

Popular news

Loading