Battered former winner Philipsen earns praise in Milan-San Remo: "He dropped us off perfectly at the Cipressa"

Jasper Philipsen was unable to defend his 2024 Milan-Sanremo title on Saturday. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter didn’t have his best legs due to a recent crash and had to let go of the peloton early on the Cipressa. But his teammate Mathieu van der Poel’s victory was a big boost.

Philipsen had been on track to start his bid for a second Milan-Sanremo win in top form. In early March, he impressed with a podium finish in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and a win in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. However, after crashing a few days ago in Nokere Koerse, Philipsen began Saturday’s first major classic of the season carrying several injuries.

And those injuries clearly affected him. When UAE Team Emirates-XRG ramped up the pace on the Cipressa, the sprinter had to drop back early. “I just didn’t feel great,” Philipsen told Eurosport plainly. “That’s normal after my crash. But I’m really happy with Mathieu’s victory. I don’t know how he did it, but it’s amazing either way.”

Read more below the photo.

A battered Philipsen never contended for the win

Philipsen: “He’s definitely the deserving winner”

Thanks to Van der Poel’s victory, Alpecin-Deceuninck delivered the winner of La Primavera for the third year in a row. “That’s very special,” said Philipsen about the remarkable statistic. “I don’t think many teams have achieved that, although I don’t know the exact numbers. Of course, we came here with the goal to win, because we knew Mathieu was in incredible shape. I’m very proud of how we performed and I’m happy for the team.”

In the finale, Van der Poel fended off numerous attacks from Pogacar. Although Philipsen hadn’t yet seen the footage, he could only be in awe of his teammate. “He won, so he was probably the strongest. He’s definitely the deserving winner.”

Philipsen also briefly spoke to Sporza, where he explained why he decided to race despite his crash in Nokere Koerse. “Why I still raced? That was partly the team’s decision. I gave it my all and hoped for good legs, but they just weren’t there. That’s not abnormal, right?”

Read more below the photo.

Teammate Quinten Hermans spoke highly of Philipsen after the race. Despite not feeling at his best, last year’s winner didn’t hesitate to put himself at the service of the team. “Jasper wasn’t feeling great, and it’s really admirable that a former winner sacrifices his own chances,” said Hermans.

Philipsen played a crucial role for the team in the tense lead-up to the Cipressa. “He dropped us off perfectly at the Cipressa. Hats off to him for doing that. He could’ve gone for his own chances, but he completely sacrificed himself,” Hermans praised. “Luckily, we were honest with each other. I was at the front just before the Cipressa, but Jasper told me he’d take care of it. And he did it perfectly.”

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