Philipsen saw two "super champions" ride away on the cobbles: "I just wasn’t strong enough against them"

He was able to hang on for a long time, but it was ultimately a counterattack by Tadej Pogacar, after teammate Mathieu van der Poel had accelerated, that proved too much for Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck could no longer follow and had to battle in the background for a top-10 finish. He just missed out, finishing 11th in Paris-Roubaix. Afterwards, Philipsen admitted he wasn’t entirely satisfied.

He was already facing setbacks early on. “It was super nervous and I slipped. That was a sh*tty situation,” he told Sporza post-race. The Vlam from Ham had to chase back before the real race ignited. “In the end, I made it back and survived the split. I got up front with the best riders, but after that it was just survival mode for me.”

“I hit my limit really quickly,” Philipsen continued, adding that he was still feeling the effects of the crash. “My back hurt a bit after the fall, especially trying to stay up front with those two (Van der Poel and Pogacar, ed.). I started to feel myself running on empty.”

An acceleration from Van der Poel triggered a response from Pogacar, and that was the end of Philipsen’s challenge. “They were riding with something extra. When they attacked, I had to let go. I wasn’t the strongest in that group, and it showed. This is an honest race. The strongest riders end up at the front,” he admitted.

Read more below the photo!

Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix Sunday for the third year in a row

"It wasn't ideal for me," Philipsen says about the Roubaix scenario

As we’ve come to expect in modern cycling, the finale of Paris-Roubaix was opened up early once again. “I hit my limit pretty quickly,” Philipsen admitted. “It wasn’t ideal for me. With a bigger group, I could’ve saved more energy, but in the end it was just a struggle to get to the finish.”

Still, the Belgian sprinter from Alpecin-Deceuninck looks back on the Hell of the North with a reasonably positive feeling, based on his comments. “I’m glad I was able to be part of the final phase, but against those super champions, I just wasn’t good enough.”

Read more below the photo!

Van der Poel on Paris-Roubaix podium with Pogacar and Pedersen

Philipsen articulates how good Pogacar and Van der Poel were: 'Unbelievable'

In conversation with CyclingProNet the Belgian goes on about those super champions. 'I just tried to follow them and also do the occasional header. I knew I was slowly dying that down, but the speed was so high that I had to release pretty early.'

So one of those super champions is Van der Poel, who managed to take Paris-Roubaix for the third year in a row. At the NOS, Philipsen was asked how special that third win is. 'It really is a phenomenon ... Unbelievable," the Belgian expressed his admiration for the Dutchman. 'I don't know if many riders have won three times in a row before. Then at least a very long time ago, because I can't remember it myself," Philipsen said.

Read also

Wout van Aert crashed on 'Vuelta knee' in Paris-Roubaix and reflects on his cobbled classics campaign

Van der Poel regrets beating Pogacar due to crash, for the race and for himself: "Really suffered"

🎥 Van der Poel hit in the face with Visma | Lease a Bike water bottle during dramatic Paris-Roubaix finale: "Enough to break my jaw"

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