Jasper Philipsen targets big sprint win on home roads: "He will have three chances to win a stage"

The rivalry of Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier will be the main crowd-drawer of the upcoming Baloise Belgium Tour with no less than two, but most likely three bunch sprints ahead. Alpecin-Deceuninck don't expect miracles in terms of GC, but they hope that Philipsen will give himself a nice confidence boost at the race ahead of Nationals and the Tour de France.

"A good GC at this Baloise Belgium Tour will be very difficult," says sports director Gianni Meersman at Het Nieuwsblad. "We don't really have anyone who will compete for the marbles in the penultimate hilly stage in Durbuy. That is probably where the classification will be decided. The day after, the whole peloton will probably sprint in Brussels and that will more than likely also be the case in Knokke-Heist and Putte in the first and second stage."

"Jasper Philipsen will not lack motivation," Meersman continues. "He will have three chances to win a stage here. The time trial will take place in 'his' Ham, so he will know it there. The distance (9.7 kilometres, ed.) could also speak in his favour, but I fear that in that race against the clock we will have to look at other favourites."

The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter took some time off after his Eschborn-Frankfurt abandon, but in his return at the Dwars doors Hageland, he immediately showed a great level. "Philipsen has already completed two races after his altitude camp. Dwars door het Hageland was quite a tough race. Don't forget that he was barely home for a day before he started in Aarschot. In the Elfstedenronde he came very close on Sunday."

In terms of competition, there will be a direct comparison for Philipsen at the Belgian race as he clashes with rival - the European champion Tim Merlier. "Tim Merlier is also at the start and he has the same goals as Jasper. We will see where we end up, but we are already going for a stage win and that can of course be more than one."