'My legs feel like concrete' - Philipsen powers through pain to Vuelta success
Jaspe Philipsen doubled up on stage 8 of the Vuelta a España after a tense and chaotic finish in Zaragoza
Jasper Philipsen proved his status as the fastest sprinter in the Vuelta a España peloton on Sunday as the Belgian secured his second victory in the 2025 edition. Philipsen timed his sprint to perfection, narrowly coming past Elia Viviani (Lotto) on the flattest stage of the race into Zaragoza despite admitting his legs "were feeling like concrete."
"I was actually completely destroyed to start my sprint, because I had to move up in the wind, and my legs were feeling like concrete," admitted Philipsen to Eurosport post-race. "But I still managed to follow Viviani a little bit and go at the very last moment with some speed, but definitely the legs were not there anymore," he added.
The double stage success in the opening week marks a successful return for Philipsen after crashing out on the third stage of the Tour de France in July with injuries, including a broken collarbone. For the 27-year-old, it has been a quick turnaround from despair to joy, and he credited his team for their role in allowing him to return to winning ways in such fashion.
“Of course, the team really pushes me to really go far beyond what I thought would be possible after my injury. The build-up was really short and intense, and I didn’t have the right feeling. But with the support of these teammates and the lead-out we have, the goals we target, it’s nice we can follow and have this success.”
There are few remaining opportunities for the sprinters in this edition of the Vuelta, a race that features 10 summit finishes across 21 stages. With two stage wins in the pocket, Philipsen was asked if he plans to stay in the race. He remains relaxed about the situation, taking the positives.
“Take it day by day, try to enjoy the journey, try to improve, take it as good training and enjoy with the team, and then we'll see where we can get," said Philipsen.
Philipsen’s lead-out man, Edward Planckaert, also weighed in on his views after the finish, speaking to Eurosport after what he described as a “hectic” last 15km.
“We managed to trust each other, and the sprint was also chaotic. I don’t know what happened behind me. I followed Jonas [Rickaert] and did my lead-out, and Jasper came from behind,” said Planckaert.
Planckaert also illustrated the high standards within the Alpecin-Deceuninck squad, as, despite the victory, he commented on a slight imperfection of his leadout for his sprinter.
“It was not perfect because I saw he had to go through a small gap, but in the end it worked out," he said.
