Jasper Philipsen makes crucial Tour de France preparation change - No Tour de Suisse as Baloise Belgium Tour awaits
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen has made a clear deviation in his sprint to the Tour de France, but the move could be set to reward the Belgian fast man. Initially set to ride next week's Tour de Suisse, he will instead reportedly take to the line for the Baloise Belgium Tour.
It was initially reported that Philipsen would pair with Mathieu van der Poel in Switzerland as they prepare to spearhead Alpecin - Premier Tech's pursuit of Tour de France stage victories this summer. HLN reports that Philipsen made the change over sprint opportunities.
But Alpecin will have to wait before unleashing the versatile classics duo on the peloton, and Philipsen instead faces the prospect of an early rendezvous with former teammate Tim Merlier and Mads Pedersen.
The change is certainly understandable. Tour de Suisse offers a maximum of two sprint opportunities for Philipsen, while the Belgian stage race offers three or even four chances for the fastest to stretch their legs.
Mixed season for Philipsen
In a season that's blown hot and cold for Philipsen, the ten-time Tour stage winner has only been on the top of the podium twice - although one of those was high-profile classic In Flanders Fields - formerly known as Ghent Wevelgem.
Philipsen hasn't raced since Paris Roubaix, a race that ended in disappointment as he gave his bike to van der Poel following a flat for the Dutch rider on the legendary Arenberg cobbled section. The move to give his teammate a bike effectively ended his race, leaving him far behind the front of affairs in the unforgiving race.
The preparation race is sure to see Tour de France excitement reach a boiling point and Philipsen is among the top stage hunters at the July showpiece. The preliminary team for Alpecin includes Jonas Rickaert, Kaden Groves, van der Poel and Emiel Verstrynge.
Other sprinting contenders at the Baloise Belgium Tour, kicking off on June 17th, include Olav Kooij, Milan Fretin and Dylan Groenewegen.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
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