After his victory last year, Jasper Philipsen scored a second success in a row in De Panne, on roads he knows well. The Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter, already winner of Milan-San Remo last weekend, confirms his current sparkling form and wins the 43rd victory of his career.
In a winding finale, Philipsen, launched by his teammate Ramon Sinkeldam, resisted the pressure from his compatriot Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step). The latter, who tried to close the door on Philipsen a few hectometers from the line, quickly complained of a bad maneuver by the winner once he crossed the finish line.
Jason Tesson fourth
Danny Van Poppel, who had gone off the road about ten kilometers from La Panne, patiently moved up the peloton to place himself at the front. He was even the one who started the sprint, before being swallowed up by the two Belgians. But the Dutchman (Bora-Hansgrohe) achieved an almost unexpected third place a few moments earlier.
Note the fourth place of Frenchman Jason Tesson. “I didn’t have many sprints where I could express myself and there, the sensations were starting to build,” the Total Energies rider, who hoped for better, regretted at the Eurosport microphone. I believed it. It’s frustrating after a complicated start to the season. »
