Two sprinters for Alpecin-Premier Tech and what sprinters! On Saturday at Omloop Nieuwsblad, alongside Van der Poel will be Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian, third at the Omloop and first at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne last year, has proven he can really give his all in the opening Flemish weekend. «Mathieu's presence creates a completely different dynamic within the team - said Philipsen, 27, winner of the Sanremo in 2024, 10 stages at the Tour (points jersey in 2023) and 6 at the Vuelta -. When he's there, we start with a clear leader and a clear plan. So we'll race in a much more open way and as a team we'll also be much stronger».

Obviously Philipsen doesn't need to prove anything to anyone and his chances of victory would have existed even without Van der Poel's presence. «Well no, I don't think his presence affects my chances of winning. My physical condition is such that I can compete for victory in several scenarios».

This season Philipsen has only raced the Volta Algarve: best result 4th in the first stage and two sprint defeats to Paul Magnier. «My physical condition is comparable to last year, when I finished third at the Omloop. To win, everything has to go right, but I'm confident. Should I have won it last year? Maybe. I misjudged the sprint by focusing too much on Van Aert, I missed a good opportunity».

The Belgian will compete in both classics of the weekend: on Sunday he will race at Kuurne for the repeat: «For anyone with a Flemish cycling heart, these are important races. The opening weekend gives me butterflies in my stomach; that's why I do it. For me, the Omloop is the first big event of the year. Of course, I want to win, it's a typically Flemish race. Paris-Roubaix remains the Holy Grail, but as a classics rider I try to make the most of my opportunities. We don't have many opportunities in spring».

Philipsen has become an important name both as a sprinter and as a one-day race specialist: «If I now focused only on sprinting, I wouldn't race in the big classics. Maybe I would win more if I were just a sprinter, but for me the classics are the races that matter. I love racing at speed, I love the adrenaline of a sprint, but I can't live without the classics. I've already won Milan-Sanremo and I've been on the podium at Paris-Roubaix (2nd in 2023 and 2024 always behind Van der Poel, ed.). I'm happy to make many sacrifices to compete in these races».

2026 will be Philipsen's eighth season. That young rider who debuted as a pro with UAE Emirates in 2019 has now become a great professional: «I'm now a rider who knows what to do and doesn't stray too far from the routine that my coach and I have established over the years – explains the Belgian -. For me, this means a lot of training in good weather and altitude camps as preparation. On Monday I'll turn 28. The beginning of my career took me to high levels, where I want to stay for a few more years. Can I improve? Hard to say. Now I know what I can do, but also what I can't. I realize where I can invest time and energy and where I can't. That's what I've learned by maturing».