"Until April I am a classics rider, from May I am a sprinter" - 'Classics rider' Jasper Philipsen is not bothered by another defeat at UAE Tour
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen was not destined for a stage victory at this year's ultra-stacked UAE Tour. He put up a good fight against the other two fastest men on the planet, but couldn't quite crack both Jonathan Milan and Tim Merlier at the same day. Second place was once again Philipsen's maximum on the last flat stage on Saturday.
"Tim came from behind at high speed. A fair sprint. I had nothing to say against it," were Philipsen's first reactions to Het Nieuwsblad after another podium in today's stage 6.
Three podium results (two after relegation in stage 1), are not what quite what he had come for to United Arab Emirates, but that doesn't worry the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider too much. "Winning would have been nice. But it is different now. The world keeps turning, because this race was not an A-goal," Philipsen points out.
The 26-year-old Belgian seems to be missing a few watts to compete against the best, perhaps a side-effect of increased training volumes? "I have trained very hard the last month," Philipsen agreed. "That is why I do not have the fastest sprinter's legs at the moment. I have a good basic speed, but I miss that extra punch or acceleration that Tim had here."
Focus on classics
But there's still a long way to go till Philipsen's main sprinter objective of the season: "In the Tour, those flashes will definitely have to be there. Then it will have to be a level higher in the sprints."
As he said half-laughing ten days ago: "Until April I am a classics rider, from May I am a sprinter." This approach should reward Philipsen in next month's races. "At the moment I am mainly looking at the classics. That is what I have worked towards the most. Then these results may not be illogical."
"I am happy with the feeling of the past week," Philipsen concluded. "But it is so difficult to draw conclusions from this. The stages here are too easy for that. It is never really hard. You ride here at an average of 150 watts, a bit of a cycling tourist can follow that. Soon, in Flanders, the racing will be very different." If everything goes according to the plan, nobody will remember some UAE Tour anymore.
Read also
Does UAE Tour make sense? They don't have nice scenery there, rocks and sand. Hardly any climbing. It's only there because of the oil money. I think my home country race offers a much challenging route even though only pro and continental teams ride here.
You underestimate the importance (unfortunate) of money in sport these days. Besides, it’s guaranteed warm sunny weather do now race cancellations, extreme conditions, dangerous roads, etc. it’s what a lot of riders look for to stay/get motivated at this point of the year/season, even if it’s just « training » for some.
Just in
Play for FREE! Fantasy Tour of Flanders
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Popular news
Latest comments
- Not only the public, just about every analyst and commentator had been piling it on. Under the circumstances I’d even say he’s showing real character. Not sure likeable Tadej would manage as well during a longer rough patch.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Took a while but we finally have a more nuanced analysis.Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- If I remember right, it was those same hungry journalists selling us a different story less than a year ago about the bleak future of Dutch (men’s) cycling with no possible successor for MVDP ;-)Mistermaumau03-04-2025
- Good, hopefully Jonas goes also so we get a nice duelvappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- right? i think it’s hungry journalists that fuel this, and i understand the jam they can be in trying to create stories, but you’d hate to think ANYONE is failing to appreciate how RARE someone like van der poel is (or how LUCKY we are to have both mvdp and pog racing at the same time). a little perspective is a good thing…OCexile03-04-2025
- Anyone know how long that 213km ride took? Coz without that the segment speeds don’t reveal anything surprising. If it took him Less than 5h ok but otherwise it was just some interval training for him.Jumpyjohn03-04-2025
- Hinault was even lighter than Pog at 62 kg when he won PR in 1981, beating Roger van Vlaeminck no less (albeit at the fag end of the latter's career), so it can be done.Cooldude03-04-2025
- Having to shoulder too much pressure from the Belgain public too much that he made a tactical mistake. That's what public pressure does to you. Poor Wout! Hopefully, lady luck befalls him soon.
KerisVroom03-04-2025 - If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, evervappaxbipmv03-04-2025
- Yeah, as if fans would now have acquired a right to an MVPD every generation ;-)Jumpyjohn03-04-2025