Sprinter wins Milano-Sanremo for the first time in 8 years - Jasper Philipsen wins 'dream' monument
Cycling
Sure enough, it was not a bunch sprint, but Jasper Philipsen has become the first sprinter to win Milano-Sanremo in years. It was an impressive display of power from him and Alpecin-Deceuninck to bring home the first monument of the win and revalidate their title from 2023.
"It's incredible. I cannot realize that, monument is something which you dream of, Milano-Sanremo maybe one of the monuments I can win, but I'm really proud," Philipsen said in a post-race interview. "So what Mathieu did in the final was an incredible job. It is incredibly and I'm happy we could manage it as a team." Philipsen did the perfect race, being in perfect position in all moments.
He rode a superb climb of the Poggio, in the back of the leading group that was following Tadej Pogacar. He was in a good position, and Mathieu van der Poel played an absolutely crucial role in closing several attacks in the finale, which contributed to the possible success of the sprinters that were still in the group.
Philipsen, a sprinter - who has proven himself once again in the classics - has won the fastest edition in the history of the monument. "They break records every year it seems, I think last year it was also the fastest Milano-Sanremo. The speed is going faster and faster every year and yeah I was feeling quite good actually," he continues. "I had a feeling today could be my day, I had good legs from the start. I also believe in it, but everything needs to follow in place."
Nevertheless, even in the sprint the victory of the Belgian was extremely tight over Michael Matthews, as he squeezed through a small gap to win only be centimeters at the line. "I was a bit afraid that Matthews was really strong, I didn't have to do one sprint all day but after 300 kilometers a sprint feels strange and different," he admits. "I was happy that I had those 5 centimeters to beat him."
"In the Poggio the favourites looked a little bit at each other and I managed to come back and Mathieu was there who really did a big team job. I thanked him a lot for what he did."
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
Loading
🏆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒏 🏆 #MilanoSanremo
Write a comment