Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck clinched victory in Saturday’s Milan-Sanremo race, marking his first-ever win in a cycling monument and securing the first Belgian victory in the ‘Primavera’ since 2021.
The Milan-San Remo race is the longest cycling monument featuring 288 kilometres, traditionally kicking off the season. The majority of the contest consisted of an identical scenario for over two hundred kilometres.
There was a lengthy breakaway of ten competitors, including seven Italians, while Jacopo Mosca and Silvan Dillier of the peloton conceded minimal ground on behalf of their leaders Mads Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel.
"This is incredible. I'm struggling to comprehend this," he remarked after the win. Winning one of cycling's monuments, especially the Milan-Sanremo, is something every rider dreams of. Philipsen revealed his sense of pride in the victory and praised his teammate
Mathieu van der Poel's crucial role in the finale. "His effort was unbelievable, and I'm deeply grateful to him. We are thrilled to have achieved this as a team," he stated.
This year's competition was the fastest Milan-Sanremo race ever. Philipsen explained, "Records keep breaking every year as speeds continue to increase. I felt quite good on the day and thought it could go in my favour. Right from the start, I felt I had strong legs. I had faith in myself, but everything had to fall into place, especially on the Poggio. Favourites watched each other closely there, and I managed to catch up with assistance from Mathieu."
In the final sprint, Philipsen edged out Australian cyclist Michael Matthews. "I was slightly worried that Mads Pedersen could pose a strong challenge. However, I did not anticipate Matthews performing so well. There was no need for a sprint throughout the day, but after three hundred kilometres, sprinting feels quite different. I was relieved to beat Michael by a margin of just five centimetres," Philipsen revealed.
