Remco Evenepoel frustrated with Philipsen after second place at Belgian Road Race Championships: "Those are sometimes strange tactics”
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel had to settle for silver at the Belgian
National Championships Road Race on Sunday, just two days after winning the
time trial title. The Olympic time trial and road race champion crossed the
line behind Tim Wellens, who took a solo victory. Jasper Philipsen completed
the podium in third.
Evenepoel, who crashed early on but continued without major
issues, was left frustrated by a lack of cooperation in the chase behind
Wellens, particularly from Philipsen.
"I always managed to jump on the wheel, but I couldn't
turn along," he told Sporza after the finish. "Those are sometimes
strange tactics. You'll never win the race that way."
Philipsen’s reluctance to contribute to the chase raised
questions about whether Wellens could have been caught. “Could we have brought
Wellens back if Philipsen had helped sooner? Perhaps, but Philipsen said he
couldn't. Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore.”
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Evenepoel also addressed his crash early in the race: “But I
didn’t suffer any consequences from that. The peloton got caught up and they
fell in front of me. It just cost me some strength in the chase to get back,
but that didn’t make the difference.”
Attention now shifts to the Tour de France, which begins
next Saturday. “First enjoy a few more days of rest and then go full throttle
for 3 weeks,” said Evenepoel.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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