It's a less sparkling start to the season than expected for Jasper PhillipsenThe Belgian champion has chosen to skip the first WorldTour appointment, the UAE Tour, preferring the "softer" Volta ao Algarve. A thoughtful decision with a shallower field and, at least on paper, a better chance of victory. And yet the sprinter of the Alpecin-Premier Tech he didn't raise his arms and only ran one real sprint.
It's legitimate, then, to ask what his current condition is and whether the team's calls for calm truly reflect the situation. Many in Belgium have been asking the same question. Especially since the races kick off on Saturday with the Northern Classics and then head straight to Sanremo..
A quiet start
It was Philipsen himself who indicated in theOmloop Newsletter The first real test of the season. As reported by the Belgian press, the Flemish athlete made no secret of considering the Omloop a "first assessment" of his condition, hoping to reach peak form only later. A gradual approach, consistent with its recent history: In the past, Philipsen also took a few weeks to get going, only to then explode in the Classics and Grand Tours.
The choice to avoid the UAE Touring and orienting oneself towards the Algarve falls within this logic. Less pressure, controlled mileage, specific work with the train and above all a climate more suited to the Belgians, Compared to the 30-plus degrees of the Emirates stage. However, in Portugal, the opportunities were limited: between undulating stages and complex tactical situations, Philipsen only ran one sprint in ideal conditions and finished in fourth place. Not enough to draw definitive conclusions, but enough to raise questions. It is clear that the Belgian is still building his condition, rather than finalizing.
Water on the fire
The debate heated up after the Algarve. The team urged against hasty conclusions: the failed sprints weren't a sign of a crisis, but rather the result of unfavorable race dynamics. The sporting director Frederik Willems he explained to Wielerflits: «I'm not worried, this first week of racing went as it was supposed to goJasper is where he should be in terms of condition. The goal isn't an immediate result but rather growth towards the Classics."
In the Algarve, the Belgian didn't push things too far. No desperate chase, no tactical gambles. An attitude that can be interpreted in two ways: planned caution or a lack of brilliance. The truth, probably, lies somewhere in the middle. It's well known that Philipsen performs best when the base speed is already high and his train is able to establish a long and steady sprint. But this scenario wasn't seen in Portugal, also because the formidable train driven by VdP it wasn't there and this must also be consideredWillems himself pointed out that there were some hitches in relation to the train, to the work shared with Caden Groves.
In short, it's also difficult to truly evaluate Jasper Philipsen's current performance. The team remains calm. The winter work has not been disrupted and the loads are calibrated to arrive competitively in MarchIt's a carefully constructed calendar, without any unexpected peaks. But you know: this cycling waits for no one, especially if you're a champion and reveal that you didn't have the legs (as happened in the second sprint in Portugal). Somehow certain athletes are “doomed to win.”
No Flanders
The moment of truth is already on the horizon. On Saturday Philipsen will start the Omloop Nieuwsblad, where he was third in 2025, and on Sunday the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, race of which he is the defending champion. Two races that will offer more reliable indicators: walls, wind, natural selection. What gives rise to further reflection, however, is the fact that Philipsen will not compete in the Flanders this year either. And perhaps for this very reason, something more was expected. Not only that, but in December he had relaunched on the Roubaix, reiterating his dream of winning it and the great motivation that this race gives him.
His calendar up to the Milan-Sanremo, from now on, faithfully follows that of last year. The hope is to find the Philipsen again Sanremo 2024 version, capable of combining endurance and sprint after almost 300 kilometers. 2025 was marked by the fall at Nokere Koerse, an accident that compromised the preparation of the Classicissima, in addition to the after-effects of the injury at the Tour.
The pressure is mounting. Alpecin is placing much of its ambitions on Philipsen and Mathieu Van der PoelWhile the former has yet to make his mark, the latter remains the team's technical and media beacon, but hasn't yet taken to the track since cyclocross. It's all about them.
The next two games will tell whether the slow start was part of the plan or the prelude to a more complex chase than expected. Also considering that Milan, Groenewegen, Girmay and Magnier have already flexed their muscles.
