Belgium have opted for the high-risk tactic of choosing Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier for Sunday’s European highway 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 concept supply extra probabilities of victory.
“We have been each promised that we might get our probability in a dash. So I do not see any issues with that,” Philipsen advised the Belgian media about sharing dash management with Merlier on the eve of the race.
“Same reply,” the normally extra reserved Melier added.
Both 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 crew management.
Merlier crashed arduous on stage 2 of the Renewi Tour however is assured of his dash. The Soudal Quick-Step rider has received 3 sprints in 2024, together with three phases on the Giro d’Italia and the Scheldeprijs Classic, the place he beat Philipsen.
Philipsen is arguably once more the very best sprinter of the season. He received Milan-San Remo and Classic Brugge-De Panne, was second at Paris-Roubaix after which received three phases on the Tour de France, the place Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate van der Poel is usually his lead out man.
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Both Philipsen and Merlier may 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 completely different nations.
If the race ends in a bunch velocity, Philipsen may dash down one facet of the highway and Merlier on the opposite, in a type of Belgian dash showdown.
“Anything 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 crew assembly.
Vanthourenhout seems to have chosen two sprinters as a result of each Philipsen and Merlier are potential winners. Perhaps Belgium additionally is aware of that the race won’t finish in a bunch dash, as was the case within the junior males and underneath 23 males races. Philipsen and Merlier may each win from a break or win a bunch dash if the race ways 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 prompt.
Philipsen was not so satisfied and can maybe keep within the peloton and hope for a bunch dash.
“People like Pedersen and Mathieu van der Poel will need to make the race arduous however then it won’t be as much as me to take part. Our probabilities of successful are best in a mass dash. That’s what we’re aiming for,” he mentioned.
The situations don’t embody one sprinter sacrificing their probability for the opposite.
“I do not count on it to occur,” Philipsen made clear.
“Both Tim and I’ll survive that with the mandatory freshness. But if 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 strive. In that case, I’m afraid I will not have the ability to present a lead-out.”
Merlier agreed. Both merely need to dash for themselves and they’re going to have the liberty to take action.
As the Flemish media identified, it may finish in triumph or catastrophe.