"The flat tire in last 10 kilometers was not really welcome" - Jasper Philipsen shows guts to fight back from bad luck to finish second in the opening stage of Renewi Tour

Jasper Philipsen was logically disappointed after his second place in the opening stage of the Renewi Tour. The sprinter of Alpecin-Deceuninck had to fight back from a flat tire in the decisive moments of the race and it was only thanks to epic work from his teammates that he was able to have a word in the final sprint.

"I got that flat tire in the last ten kilometers, that was of course not welcome," says the winner of three stages in the recent Tour de France. "The team did a great job to bring me back, but it really took away my energy."

"When I started my sprint with 150 meters to go in [Jonathan] Milan's wheel, but I was on the limit and couldn't pass him anymore," Philipsen compliments the Italian powerhouse.

Philipsen ended up in second place and is now also second in the general classification. Despite that, the Flemish also sees something positive in it. "It was my first day of racing since the end of the Tour and I am happy that my feeling and form are good," concludes Philipsen.