Philipsen changes Tour de France build up: ‘We jointly chose speed’

Alpecin-Premier Tech had initially listed Philipsen for the Tour de Suisse from June 17 to 21, where he would line up alongside Mathieu van der Poel as part of the team’s final preparation block before the Tour de France. That programme has now changed, with Philipsen opting for a more sprint-focused build-up on home roads in the Baloise Belgium Tour, which also runs from the 17th to the 21st of June.

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Philipsen explained that the decision was made after discussions with the team’s performance staff during a recent training camp.

“Initially, the plan was indeed to ride the Tour de Suisse,” Philipsen said. “But during the training camp with the team, we discussed with the performance staff what would be the best approach: gaining speed in Belgium or working on climbing ability and toughness in Switzerland. Ultimately, we jointly chose speed and, at the same time, to build confidence in the sprints with a view to the Tour.”

The revised programme gives Philipsen a clearer path towards the kind of efforts he is likely to need in July. The Tour de Suisse would have brought a harder week on varied terrain, but the Belgium Tour is expected to offer fast finishes, tight positioning battles and repeated chances to sharpen his timing.

It is also a race Philipsen knows well. The 28-year-old has won a stage in each of the last four editions of the Baloise Belgium Tour and has finished inside the top ten overall several times. His return to Belgium therefore gives him both a practical sprint test and a familiar race environment before the Tour de France.

“Because I had not been away from home for three days and I know the road book from stage one, four and five pretty well, I am looking forward to riding here again,” Philipsen said. “What matters most is that I get a little bit better every day.”

Philipsen also suggested that the general classification might not be completely out of reach, even if that is not the main target.

“Although the Baloise Belgium Tour has not been a stage race for pure sprinters in recent years, I have still managed to finish in the top ten four times,” he said. “That does not mean I now want to go for the standings. Also not in the traditional Ardennes ride. The stage in and around Durbuy is tough, but also not insurmountable. So who knows, perhaps something is possible in the standings this year.”

The race format could help him stay in contention if he is sprinting well. Philipsen pointed to the Golden Kilometre, where bonus seconds can make a difference, and to the time trial in the Ardennes, which he expects to be less straightforward than a pure test of power.

“Certainly if I can gather bonus seconds in the sprint, and if the time differences remain limited in the Ardennes time trial,” he said. “I am convinced that, with my current condition, I should be able to play a role of significance.”

Before turning his attention to the Belgium Tour, Philipsen will first return to racing at this weekend’s Copenhagen Sprint. The WorldTour race is only in its second edition and, at 227 kilometres, offers a long and competitive test for the sprinters.

“It is a WorldTour race in its second edition and it can count on a strong field,” Philipsen said. “Immediately a tough one, but I can use it after my training block. I can not only assess where I stand with my form, but also with my competitors.”

That will continue in Belgium, where he is expected to face a strong sprint field. Tim Merlier, Olav Kooij, Mads Pedersen, Dylan Groenewegen and Søren Wærenskjold are all set to be among his rivals, giving the Alpecin-Premier Tech sprinter a valuable test against several of the fastest riders in the peloton.

Van der Poel, meanwhile, remains on course for the Tour de Suisse, which is still expected to be his only race block before the Tour de France. 

The Dutchman is once again set to combine his role in Philipsen’s lead-out with his own ambitions for stage victories in July.