Philipsen rues wrong decision in frantic Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne finale

Even after two bike changes in the finale, Philipsen believed he had the legs to claim his first win of the season, but the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider would rue his decision to track the rear wheel of Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in the final kilometre.

“I thought that was the right wheel,” Philipsen told Sporza. “They [Red Bull] still had a strong team and were very good throughout the day, so I assumed they’d get it lined up.

“Unfortunately, everything happened on the right side, and we were a bit too far back. I was also just exhausted at the end. It was a tough race, and my sprint didn’t quite come out.”

Philipsen abandoned Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday after he was unable to make his way back to the front group following a puncture, but he looked determined to showcase his strength when Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne hit the hills around the midpoint.

The Belgian caught the eye with accelerations on both Mont-Saint-Laurent and the Kruisberg, where fast finishers such as Biniam Girmay (NSN), Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) would see their chances start to fade.

Philipsen also navigated the echelons that formed in the flat run back towards Kuurne, though he would spend 20km aboard teammates Edward Planckaert’s bike after puncturing with 35km remaining. He was eventually able to change back to his own machine as the race passed through the finish line in Kuurne for the first time.

“It was a bit bad luck, but I had a good feeling,” Philipsen said. “I even came back after that bike change, and I knew there was a headwind in the final part. But then I was a bit too far back, and the sprint didn’t go ideally.”

In keeping with recent years, Philipsen’s avowed focus is on the Classics rather than bunch sprints in the opening phase of the season, and he will again be a key foil for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Mathieu van der Poel this spring.

Philipsen will not race again until Nokere Koerse on March 18 before he travels to Milan-San Remo, which he won in 2024. He will also line out at the Ronde van Brugge, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix, while he is again set to forgo the Tour of Flanders.