"Nothing insurmountable, but far from comfortable": Nokere crash still lingering for Jasper Philipsen ahead of Paris-Roubaix

Tim Merlier of Soudal Quick-Step knew exactly who to watch in the finale of the Scheldeprijs on Wednesday: his former teammate Jasper Philipsen, now racing for his old team, Alpecin-Deceuninck. And so, for the second year in a row, it came down to a showdown in Schoten between Belgium’s fastest sprinters—this time, once again, Philipsen came up short. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider graciously admitted the result was fair.

The lead-up to the mass sprint in the center of Schoten didn’t go smoothly for Alpecin-Deceuninck. The Belgian team saw much of its lead-out train taken out in a crash 12 kilometers from the finish. Among those who hit the tarmac were Robbe Ghys and Timo Kielich, both normally key in positioning Philipsen—and unable to contribute in the final kilometers as a result.

Jonas Rickaert, the only lead-out rider who stayed upright, still managed to put Philipsen in a perfect position to launch his sprint. Coming out of Edward Theuns’ (Lidl-Trek) slipstream, the Belgian kicked off his sprint, but soon saw the European champion’s jersey of Merlier flying past on the right. “Could there have been more? Well, no. I was able to launch my sprint exactly the way I wanted to, so I’m happy about that. Tim was clearly the fastest,” Philipsen concluded.

Still, the Scheldeprijs blew open fairly early after the start in Terneuzen. “Those early crosswinds made it fun, but of course it came back together pretty quickly. The weather conditions were just too good.”

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Philipsen still struggling with aftermath of crash in Nokere

Philipsen started his Belgian campaign perfectly, with a third place in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and a victory in Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. But things took a turn at his next race, Nokere Koerse, where he was involved in a crash. That incident affected his performance at Milan–San Remo and most of the races that followed. “That crash was already three weeks ago, but it’s definitely not something to underestimate. It really set me back quite a bit.”

Perhaps the best version of Philipsen was still visible at Gent–Wevelgem, but that was about it. “In Dwars door Vlaanderen I didn’t feel great, and that was also the case a few times in training. I’ve had a lot of headaches, so I clearly hit my face pretty hard. It still lingers a bit, but it shouldn’t be an excuse,” said the Belgian, holding himself to a high standard.

Philipsen didn’t suffer a concussion but did take a solid blow to the head, as one might expect from a crash like the one in Nokere. “It was probably a minor whiplash, which can radiate from the neck muscles to the head. It’s nothing unmanageable, but definitely far from comfortable. The osteopathic treatments are helping, though,” he explained.

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Philipsen heads to Roubaix with strong credentials—But also some question marks

And so, Jasper Philipsen heads to Compiègne—with a few question marks—where Paris–Roubaix will start on Sunday. The past two years, he finished second in the Hell of the North, both times behind teammate Mathieu van der Poel. “It’s hard to predict. I’ve felt good in training over the past weeks, so we’ll see. I hope to be back on form by Sunday. We’ve worked hard for it, and it would be great if that pays off.”

“I hope I can be at 100 percent in Paris–Roubaix,” says Philipsen. “It’s the classic that suits me best. I’ve been on the podium there two years in a row. I just hope I can avoid bad luck, because that’s always a factor too.” The form may well be there. “I feel like I’ve made a step forward—especially on the climbs—but the results haven’t quite shown it yet. We’ll see on Sunday, and then take stock. I felt really good during Opening Weekend and in Gent–Wevelgem, and I’ll take that with me. In the races after the crash, I’ve struggled a bit more, but again—we’ll see on Sunday.”

“I’m trying to line up as well-prepared and confident as possible. It’s a race that suits us, and I’m really looking forward to it,” says Philipsen, who will have the backing of team leader and teammate Van der Poel in Paris–Roubaix, along with a squad that has already proven this spring that they can provide excellent support when it matters most.

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