Jasper Philipsen took a while to get off the mark at last year's Tour de France, his first win not arriving until stage 10, but the Belgian fastman wasted no time this time around, powering to victory on the opening day of the 2025 edition to pull on the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
Philipsen struggled to get the better of Biniam Girmay in the first half of last year's race, but he beat the Eritrean emphatically on the Boulevard Vauban in the heart of Lille.
Having only taken two wins to date this season, Philipsen came into the Tour as the slight underdog for yellow behind the likes of the more in-form Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek).
But once crosswinds began to rip through the peloton, splitting the bunch in two, Philipsen and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates – led by Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel – came alive, while both Merlier and Milan were caught behind.
"We knew they [echelons] could happen, but we didn't know when exactly,” Philipsen said afterwards.
“We just knew we had to be in front and stay focused and attentive all day. We were with the guys that were needed for the leadout in the final in the echelons and everyone was on a really strong level.
"It was definitely a team effort, a team job, and I'm proud of how we rode; everyone is in great shape. It gives us a lot of motivation for the coming days."
Philipsen was guided to the finish line by four of his teammates, including Van der Poel and nine-time Grand Tour stage winner Kaden Groves.
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"I didn’t know who was there exactly," Philipsen said of the make-up of the front bunch. "I just knew we were there with our squad and our train. It was important to have all of the strong guys there for the sprint.
"But after a while I didn't see Merlier or Milan there. I also didn't know how far they were behind and I didn't know if they were coming back. We were just there and tried to fight for position, be there for the team and focus on the sprint."
Enjoying the moment
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Stage two is set to be a Classics-style test with an uphill finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a parcours which, on paper, would seem made for the likes of Van der Poel.
Philipsen has managed to get over the Poggio to win Milan-San Remo in the past, but the 27-year-old could find himself distanced if the stage evolves into an early GC skirmish, as some have predicted on the ground in France.
"We haven't checked too much the second stage yet – we focused on today and tomorrow is a new day," Philipsen answered when asked if he thought he would be passing yellow to his teammate in Boulogne.
"We haven’t had the chance to look too much into it but I’m for sure I'm going enjoy it and give everything I have tomorrow as we always aim for the highest chances of victory.
"If it's through me or Mathieu then we’ll have to see tomorrow. There's a lot of nice opportunities coming for the team and for Mathieu especially. Let's see tomorrow what happens but I'm going to enjoy this moment as well.
"I’m going to be really proud to wear it, with a lot of joy at least for one day and enjoy this with the team."
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After previously working in higher education, Tom joined Cycling Weekly in 2022 and hasn't looked back. He's been covering professional cycling ever since; reporting on the ground from some of the sport's biggest races and events, including the Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships. His earliest memory of a bike race is watching the Tour on holiday in the early 2000's in the south of France - he even made it on to the podium in Pau afterwards. His favourite place that cycling has taken him is Montréal in Canada.
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