Jasper Philipsen held back by Brugge-De Panne carnage but this time doesn't hit the deck: "I'm happy I managed to stay upright"
Cycling
As one of the more overlooked Belgian WT races, this year's Classic Brugge-De Panne promised a showdown between all the fastest men on the planet - Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan, Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij and more. But at the end, only the Italian got to fight for victory. However even Milan lost to Juan Sebastian Molano.
Philipsen was held back in a crash that took out his rival Merlier in last kilometers and only rolled over the line in 47th place. "There were a lot of narrowing and that’s why they fell at the front," the leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck describes the final at Sporza after the finish. "I was just behind them and stayed upright, I’m happy about that."
For the most of the race, it was relatively calm in the peloton since the forecast didn't predict any crosswinds action. "Otherwise it was an easy race. The wind wasn’t great, so it was going to be nervous," he refers to the final, because a fully intact peloton would enter the last kilometers together.
What Philipsen predicted also happened. Several crashes caused many victims, including competitors such as Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij. Philipsen himself got caught in the crossfire, but luckily managed to stay upright.
"I hoped that everyone would be spared, but that turned out not to be the case," Philipsen responds. "I had to brake hard myself and lost the connection, that was in the last kilometer. Then you know that it is not going to work. I would have liked to participate, but I also have to look at the positive side. Furthermore, it is a shame that we could not fight for the victory."
Last week Philipsen crashed hard in the dangerously-designed final of Nokere Koerse. He still participated at Milano-Sanremo, the monument he won last year, but still felt consequences of his fall earlier that week. Philipsen should be back in action this Sunday at Gent-Wevelgem.
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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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