Tomorrow Jasper Philipsen will be at the start of his fifth Paris-Roubaix and, after second place in 2023 and 2024 always behind his teammate Mathieu van der Poel, this 2025 could become his winning year. The Belgian loves to win, but considering Van der Poel's qualities, he would be content to finish second behind him again. "Coming second behind Mathieu again? It would still be a victory. For the team and for me."

Nobody knows exactly what Philipsen's condition is, as he had fallen at Nokere Koerse and had not shone at Milan-San Remo. "That accident still haunts me. I had a slight whiplash, some muscle soreness and occasional headaches. It's nothing unmanageable and I'm following treatment, so it's not an excuse. But I'm not completely comfortable yet when I'm on the bike."

Training in recent weeks has not always gone smoothly, and looking back at races like Through Flanders, he was not impeccable. "At Gent-Wevelgem and Scheldeprijs, I managed to regain some confidence in myself. In any case, I have worked hard to be ready. I hope this effort will be rewarded on Sunday."

Paris-Roubaix is perhaps a race more suited to Philipsen than any other classic, and his two placements behind his captain confirm this. Then it's not just about physical preparation, and they'll have to understand how the race will develop.

"It won't be like the Tour of Flanders, where the climbs keep coming continuously and therefore the effort is uninterrupted. It's more about positioning and surviving the pavé, it's the type of race I love. I really like the noise and rhythm on the pavé. As a team, we feel at home in the Hell of the North. We line up with a strong group: all guys who know how to move on the stones, with the experience and tenacity needed. If we manage to avoid bad luck and complete our race, there's no reason why we can't aim for another important result."

Yesterday morning Philipsen joined his teammates for a course reconnaissance and the impressions were positive, also considering the variations at the entrance to the Arenberg Forest. "There have been some modifications. The revised approach to the Arenberg Forest will definitely lead to lower speeds entering the Forest and this will make things a bit safer. It is undoubtedly an improvement compared to last year, when there was a chicane."