Mathieu van der Poel cannot count on the support of teammate Jasper Philipsen in the Tour of Flanders next Sunday. The 26-year-old Belgian has changed his program in consultation with the team.
Philipsen opts for Paris-Roubaix (April 7) to only ride the Scheldeprijs next Wednesday. Last year this turned out to be a recipe for success: Philipsen crossed the line second behind Van der Poel in the Roubaix velodrome.
Philipsen’s absence in Flanders is a loss for Van der Poel. Philipsen was considered his most important help in the hunt for his third victory in ‘Flanders Most Beautiful’.
The Van der Poel-Philipsen tandem already proved successful in Milan-San Remo earlier this season. Van der Poel did excellent preparatory work, after which Philipsen finished it off in the sprint. Van der Poel won the Italian monument last year.
Van der Poel is accompanied in the Tour of Flanders by Søren Kragh Andersen, Silvan Dillier, Axel Laurance, Xandro Meurisse, Oscar Riesebeek and Gianni Vermeersch. The world champion is the top favorite for victory, especially now that Wout van Aert is missing due to a serious fall.
Tags: Van der Poel sees teammate Philipsen drop Tour Flanders Cycling
