"Purely on maximum power and strength he is the better of Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen" - Jonathan Milan has chance to prove dominance at Classic Brugge-De Panne 2025

This afternoon in Belgium, arguably the three leading sprint stars of the current peloton do battle at Classic Brugge-De Panne 2025. Ahead of likely Tour de France duals this summer, it's an early chance for either Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier or Jasper Philipsen proving dominance over their rivals.

Ahead of the race, former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout previewed the chances of all three to Sporza. "These are the men who always get three stars behind their name in a race that can end in a sprint," begins Vanthourenhout, who will be commentating on the race for the Belgian broadcaster this afternoon.

"Merlier's greatest quality is that he doesn't need a lot of people. He can trust his leadout, Bert Van Lerberghe blindly and can respond perfectly to the situation. Merlier can actually win from many positions," begins Vanthourenhout's analysis, with emphasis on his Soudal - Quick-Step leading compatriot.

"Philipsen, on the other hand, needs people who can get him up to speed and who create space for him, which is not always easy. He can count on Rickaert and Ghys for that. Philipsen sometimes lacks the confidence to go for it, but that is not necessary. He is a world-class sprinter," he adds on the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader. "The way in which the race was run in Sanremo was not ideal for Jasper. But we are a few days further and the team will have followed him well."

When it comes to the three of them though, Vanthourenhout believes that it is currently Milan that is the most powerful. "He always looks very nervous around him and always needs space. That makes him lose energy. But purely on maximum power and strength he is the better of Tim and Jasper," the former national coach analyses.

So for Vanthourenhout it's clear. Milan is the most powerful, Merlier the fastest and Philipsen the most all-round sprinter. "He can survive a bit more on a hilly course than Merlier and Milan, although he may not have the pure top speed or drive of Merlier and the maximum value of Milan," he concludes. "It will be a matter of good timing, with the right men in the right place. They all have the legs to win in Brugge-De Panne. Merlier stands out based on statistics, but in fact all three of them can win."