Is Jasper Philipsen's classics focus jeopardising his bid to defeat Girmay, Milan and Merlier at the Tour de France?

According to Benji Naesen on X, the UAE Tour 2025 marked the first time since March 2022 that Jasper Philipsen failed to win a sprint in a stage race he participated in.

In 2022, Philipsen made his mark with two Tour de France stage wins, alongside victories at the UAE Tour and Tour of Turkey. The following year, he reached new heights, winning four stages at the Tour de France in what became a dominant partnership with Mathieu van der Poel, whose lead-out skills helped Philipsen establish himself as the premier sprinter of the season. He also claimed multiple stage wins at both the Tour of Turkey and Tirreno-Adriatico in 2023.

His success continued into 2024, where he won a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico, three stages at the Tour de France, and further stage victories at the Tour of Belgium and the Renewi Tour. However, his performances at this year’s UAE Tour were noticeably less dominant, as he failed to overcome Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan in the sprints.

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad after the UAE Tour, Philipsen reflected on his form: "Until April I am a classics rider, from May I am a sprinter." His focus on the spring classics may explain why he lacked the sprinting edge to overcome his rivals in the UAE.

Last year, Philipsen claimed his first Monument victory at Milano-Sanremo, before finishing runner-up to Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix. While his classics campaign was a success, his form later in the season came under scrutiny as he was beaten to the green jersey at the Tour de France by Biniam Girmay.

Despite still winning three stages at the Tour, Girmay had built an unassailable lead in the points classification, leaving some to question whether Philipsen’s spring ambitions had cost him the chance to retain the jersey.

Looking ahead, Philipsen’s schedule is packed with major one-day races before his return to the Tour de France in July. His calendar includes Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (March 1), Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne (March 2), Milano-Sanremo (March 22), Classic Brugge-De Panne (March 26), Dwars door Vlaanderen (April 2), and Paris-Roubaix (April 13), before shifting his focus back to sprinting at the Tour de France (July 5-27).