"This year I definitely want to win" - Jasper Philipsen hungry for success at Tour de France

Jasper Philipsen will be riding the Tour de France this year without Tim Merlier besides him, meaning that he will be Alpecin-Fenix's sole leader in the flat stages. He's talked about how he will go into the Tour with the absolute priority of taking a stage win.

“Last year I finished second three times and third three times in the Tour. This year I definitely want to win. I have worked hard to be top during this period," Philipsen said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. With wins at the UAE Tour and the Tour of Turkey, the 24-year has shown to have the legs to be dreaming big.

Philipsen admits though that the green jersey may not be a goal, despite his sprinting abilities and consistency. "I'm not green yet, let me try to win a stage first. By the way, if someone like Wout Van Aert is aiming for green, it will be very difficult for me to do the same," he said. The Belgian sprinter is set to be the sole leader of the Belgian team in the flat stages, and will try to turn his 2021 consistency into a win.

However, he has shown convincing form at the ongoing Baloise Belgium Tour, and has taken the win on stage two against world-class competition which will give a needed boost ahead of the Tour.