Despite missing out on a win at a stage race for the first time since 2022 at the UAE Tour, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was undeterred heading into Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the start of the Classics at Opening Weekend.
The Belgian sprinter opened his 2025 account in the Middle East but lost out on all four opportunities for the fast men, with his key rivals Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) and Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) sharing the spoils between them.
However, coming off the back of a tough altitude camp in Spain and with his focus mainly on cycling's biggest one-day races until April, Philipsen ended the week satisfied with the work he'd put in.
"Not all the sprints were perfect this week, but I just missed a little bit of speed I think," Philipsen told Cyclingnews after taking second behind Merlier in his last sprint opportunity on stage 6.
"I trained really hard the last couple of months, and it's just easy spinning every day [in the UAE], which makes it different. I don't have the fastest sprinting legs at the moment.
"But you cannot compare this with the Classics; you just have completely different racing here. I'm just happy with the week and looking forward to the next races."
Even before it was confirmed that he would finish a stage race without a win for the first time since Paris-Nice three years ago, Philipsen wasn't overly concerned about taking a victory. As the defending Milan-San Remo winner and two-time runner-up at Paris-Roubaix for the past two seasons, the Belgian is far more than just a sprinter.
"For sure, I'd like to win this week. It's a WorldTour stage race, so we will try our best, and it's always important for the team," Philipsen told Cyclingnews earlier in the week.
"But we have our bigger goals in the Classics coming up, so we will just do what we can, but there's nothing lost if we cannot win a stage."
Philipsen's versatility has shone through in recent years, with victories at the last two editions of the Classic Brugge-De Panne and fourth-place finishes in both Gent-Wevelegem and Dwars door Vlaanderen in the past two years.
While July and the Tour de France will remain the pinnacle for Philipsen in 2025, as a Belgian, the cobbled races and one-day Classics are what he's prioritising for the coming months. He may not have been in top condition in the UAE, but with a strong base, Philipsen doesn't think he is far off his best.
"Finding top shape is really individual. For some people, that sharpness comes back really quickly, but you also don't know what your rivals did for training," Philipsen said before stage 5. "The feeling is alright for me. I may not be in top shape yet, but it's coming.
"The focus is more towards Classics for me this year. I'd really like to win one again this year. We also put our shape curve into this period, so I'm really looking forward to the Classics. Hopefully, with some speed in the legs from some racing intensity here, it will sharpen me up."
With all that said, however, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne have tended not to be the 26-year-old's favourite races, with no better result than 33rd in the former and 24th in the latter through his four appearances at each.
Philipsen will be looking to better that record in 2025 alongside a strong Alpecin-Deceuninck roster for Omloop, which may lack Mathieu van der Poel's presence but does feature Kaden Groves, Gianni Vermeersch, Oscar Riesebeek, Xandro Meurisse, Robbe Ghys, and Silvan Dillier.
At Kuurne on Sunday, the Belgian will again race with Groves and Dillier over the 197km, with Jonas Rickaert, Johan Price-Pejtersen, Timo Kielich and Simon Dehairs also taking the start.
Philipsen will be one of the outside favourites for both races given his ability over the bergs and hellingen in Flanders, however, he will likely be hoping for either race to come down to a reduced-group sprint if he is to net a maiden victory at Opening Weekend.
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