"I was already quite à bloc before the sprint" - Philipsen misses out in Schoten sprint as illness takes its toll ahead of Paris-Roubaix

Jasper Philipsen fell short of a third victory at the Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, finishing only eighth in a sprint that once again unfolded at high speed in Schoten. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider appeared well positioned heading into the finale, but ultimately lacked the sharpness to contest the win.

“It was hectic again, as expected. Everyone was still fresh at the finish,” Philipsen explained afterwards in an interview with Sporza. “I just didn’t have that acceleration at the end. I was already quite à bloc before the sprint. I still had to launch, but I didn’t really have the speed,” he said, offering a candid assessment without searching for excuses.

Jasper Philipsen, who was forced to change bikes midway through the race, ran into further trouble later on, this time stopping to swap a wheel after suffering a puncture.

The race itself followed a familiar pattern, with a controlled build-up towards a bunch sprint where positioning proved crucial. Philipsen initially navigated the chaos well, but in the decisive moments he was overrun by faster legs, unable to produce his trademark finishing kick.

As for what went wrong in Schoten, the Belgian pointed to several possible factors, though he was quick to shift focus to bigger goals. “There can be different explanations for that, but Sunday is more important,” he noted, referring to the upcoming Paris-Roubaix. “It was obviously a dangerous race, but we definitely tried to go for the win.”

In the end, however, victory was never within reach. “It just wasn’t there today,” Philipsen continued. “I didn’t feel super. I’ve been dealing with a cold for quite a while and that can play a role, but Sunday is another race,” he added, already looking ahead to the challenge of the ‘Hell of the North' this weekend.