Jasper Philipsen shelves sprint doubts with stunning victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne

Alpecin-Deceuninck team Belgium's Jasper Philipsen celebrates on the podium after winning the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne one day cycling race, 196,9 km from Kuurne to Kuurne via Brussels, on March 2, 2025. (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT
Alpecin-Deceuninck 's Jasper Philipsen celebrates on the podium after winning the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (Image credit: Getty Images)

From third in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to first in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Jasper Philipsen captured identical results to Wout van Aert in last year's Opening Weekend, going from questioning whether he'd forgotten how to sprint after Saturday's defeat to a resounding answer with a fine dash for victory on Sunday.

After placing 94th last year in a race which has never favoured him in the past, the fastman had already shown on Saturday on the hills and cobbles of Omloop that his climbing and all around Classic aptitude was very much in top shape. All that was lacking after he and his team turned in a sterling performance all the way to the final kilometres of Nieuwsblad was the victory itself.

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.