The green trim around the dial of Jasper Philipsen's luxury watch matches the stash of green jerseys placed behind him on an outdoor sofa in Singapore.
It also matches the faces of his sprint rivals, left green with envy after a 2023 season that ended with 20 victories, including four stage wins at the Tour de France and the points classification green jersey.
Philipsen's tally is 21 if you count the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium, an exhibition event he took line honours in ahead of Mark Cavendish and Tadej Pogačar in the country's luxurious Marina Bay precinct.
On the back of such a commanding and consistent season, the Belgian has been crowned as the best sprinter in the WorldTour. His rivals certainly knew it was coming, Caleb Ewan among those who named the 25-year-old as the man to beat in the lead-up to the Tour.
When Cyclingnews asks if he is the best sprinter in the peloton right now, Philipsen doesn't beat his chest or parade as your stereotypical fast man may.
"Pfffffff," he responds, with more questions than affirmations.
"I would say this season, yes, if you look at it pure results-wise, but what is being the best sprinter? It's being the most successful? Or being the fastest?"
Jasper Philipsen wins stage 11 of the Tour de France, one of four stages he won this year
Many before him would have simply said yes but for Philipsen, the art of sprinting is a far more complex affair that makes such assertions feel trivial.
"In sprinting it's not only being the fastest," he explains.
"It's also about positioning the right way, being maybe the freshest in the final, looking at how the sprint goes timing-wise, having a great team.
"It's hard to say.
"Some people say: 'You're the fastest' but what is being the fastest? You just ride two-on-two and start sprinting and who is the fastest. But are you the best sprinter there is, it's more than being the fastest, if you understand."
Philipsen's yardstick is perhaps indicative of his versatility, and not just in a bunch kick. He places as much emphasis on the spring Classics as he does the Tour de France, and hints at a shot at world championships next season.
He is arguably more than just a sprinter.
"A championship jersey would be nice," he says, after rating his 2023 campaign an eight out of 10.
"I think this was my best season I did so far. I'm always there to try to improve and for sure there are also other goals left for next year and the coming years, so looking forward."
The Olympics in Paris, considering Belgium's team will include including Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel, isn't the holy grail in 2024.
"It depends if they're going to take four leaders or one leader and three helpers. We have to speak about it, and we'll see, but the Tour is also my priority," he says.
It's a coincidence that Philipsen's watch matches the green jersey he won in July.
He was the first person to claim the newly introduced hue – a darker, emerald shade compared to the previous, bright Ninja Turtle green that was easily identifiable in the peloton.
"No, no it's the one I could get!" he says of the watch. "The other ones I couldn't!"
The six-time Tour stage winner wasn't set on claiming the maillot vert from the outset of this year's race, but it is something he is already talking about trying to defend in 2024.
"It's always been a childhood dream to have the green jersey. I was telling it already, like five years ago, that it would be the ultimate goal," he says.
"I wanted to introduce the idea to the team, and we spoke about it a little bit, but it was not a clear plan to go for it from the beginning.
"For sure somewhere in the back of my mind yes but in the Tour, you always have to see how the first sprint goes and then see how the points are. You have to be in the game for the green, but you cannot say, 'Okay it's a goal from the beginning.' If you miss one sprint or you have bad luck one day you lose so many points and then it can be over already before it really started."
Jasper Philipsen all smiles after winning in Carcassonne at the Tour de France
His second-place at Paris-Roubaix behind Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel is a testament to the fact that Philipsen is more than a pure sprinter.
Alpecin-Deceuninck is fostering several sprinter hybrids, including Australian Kaden Groves, who also has an interest in the Classics and claimed three stages plus the points classification at the Vuelta a Espana. His results ensured the team was triumphant in all three Grand Tours this year but sparked questions of team leadership and priorities.
Philipsen doesn't see the commonalities with van der Poel and company as a threat to his own stature in the team or his goals for next season. The pair worked together during the spring Classics and at the Tour to obvious effect.
"I think we're really comfortable. He [van der Poel] has different strengths than me and we can try to play off well. Mathieu is for sure a champion of the Classics. He's the top rider and he's for sure the strongest of the team and on his best days for sure from the peloton in the world," Philipsen says.
"But I think I can also play my benefit to the team and with the years to follow I feel that I make steps and am progressing towards riding a final there as well."
Philipsen hasn't had a lot of downtime in the off-season, since ending his campaign with four stage wins at the Tour of Turkey last month.
He moved house in Belgium, where 80 per cent of the population he estimates recognise pro cyclists, and was looking forward to a week-long holiday in Thailand after the Singapore showcase before getting back into his usual routine.
"Cycling decides a big part of your life because most of the time you're also too tired to do a lot of active stuff after training," he explains.
"I try to enjoy small things, going out for dinner or having a nice movie night together with the family and drinking some good wine or whatever. Just the small things to enjoy, not crazy things."
Jasper Philipsen sprints to the finish line ahead of Caleb Ewan to win stage 4 of the Tour de France
Philipsen counts Ewan, Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen and several emerging talents among his rivals in 2024. And, when asked, doesn't discount Mark Cavendish. The British veteran has postponed his retirement for one more crack at breaking the all-time Tour stage record shared with Eddy Merckx and Philipsen admires his decision.
Philipsen places an emphasis on consistency and longevity and above all else that seems to be his measure of success – not just winning but winning repeatedly over many years.
"Sometimes you see a sprinter he's winning two, three, four stages one year, two years, and then he disappears a little bit," Philipsen says.
"That's the difference between a real champion or a guy like Mark Cavendish or Andre Greipel is also really a long time on a really high level in sprinting, or Marcel Kittel, for example, he had a short career, but he was also there for multiple years in the peloton. They stand out."
Does Philipsen have aspirations to leave his own legacy on the sport, as the self-assured Cavendish has long spoken of his intent to?
"Phowar," he replies in hope and admiration.
"Yeah, maybe that's possible. So far, I just try to improve every year and also build a great career but it's not that that's my goal, to have a legacy or whatever.
"As long as I enjoy, as long as I love the sport and have the passion for it then I go for it. But it's not that I have the goal of being in the history books or whatever. That's maybe something that comes later if you have already a big list of results."
