Belgium have opted for the high-risk tactic of choosing Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier for Sunday’s European street race championships and can give each the liberty to dash for victory, even when they go face to face and shoulder to shoulder.
Belgian nationwide coach Sven Vanthourenhout has chosen two sprinters as a result of each Philipsen and Merlier are potential winners and so in principle supply extra probabilities of victory.
“We had been each promised that we’d get our likelihood in a dash. So I do not see any issues with that,” Philipsen instructed the Belgian media about sharing dash management with Merlier on the eve of the race.
“Identical reply,” the normally extra reserved Melier added.
Each Belgian sprinters are on kind and each may win the 220km race across the twisting roads of east Flanders. They each raced at Alpecin in 2021 and 2022 earlier than Merlier moved on to Soudal however hardly ever raced collectively. Now they share group management.
Merlier crashed arduous on stage 2 of the Renewi Tour however is assured of his dash. The Soudal Fast-Step rider has gained 3 sprints in 2024, together with three phases on the Giro d’Italia and the Scheldeprijs Traditional, the place he beat Philipsen.
Philipsen is arguably once more the most effective sprinter of the season. He gained Milan-San Remo and Traditional Brugge-De Panne, was second at Paris-Roubaix after which gained three phases on the Tour de France, the place Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate van der Poel is commonly his lead out man.
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Each Philipsen and Merlier can have their very own mini-lead outs as they tackle Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Jonathan Milan (Italy), Mads Pedersen (Denmark), Alexander Kristoff (Norway) and riders from 31 totally different nations.
If the race ends in a bunch pace, Philipsen may dash down one facet of the street and Merlier on the opposite, in a type of Belgian dash showdown.
“Something is feasible,” Philipsen mentioned.
“There are extra sprinters than simply us,” Merlier added, highlighting how the 2 will thrash out a sprinting settlement with nationwide coach Sven Vanthourenhout within the pre-race group assembly.
Vanthourenhout seems to have chosen two sprinters as a result of each Philipsen and Merlier are potential winners. Maybe Belgium additionally is aware of that the race won’t finish in a bunch dash, as was the case within the junior males and beneath 23 males races. Philipsen and Merlier may each win from a break or win a bunch dash if the race techniques imply the peloton comes again collectively.
“I wouldn’t have a crystal ball, however… the course is appropriate for racing. A bit just like the Ronde van Limburg. And that doesn’t all the time finish in a dash,” Merlier instructed.
Philipsen was not so satisfied and can maybe keep within the peloton and hope for a bunch dash.
“Folks like Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel will need to make the race arduous however then it is not going to be as much as me to take part. Our probabilities of profitable are biggest in a mass dash. That is what we’re aiming for,” he mentioned.
The situations don’t embody one sprinter sacrificing their likelihood for the opposite.
“I do not count on it to occur,” Philipsen made clear.
“Each Tim and I’ll survive that with the mandatory freshness. But when I actually am on the finish of my rope and get the sensation that I can not win, it could be a bit silly to attempt. In that case, I am afraid I will not be capable of present a lead-out.”
Merlier agreed. Each merely need to dash for themselves and they’ll have the liberty to take action.
Because the Flemish media identified, it may finish in triumph or catastrophe.
