From third in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to first in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne: Jasper Philipsen captured identical results to Wout van Aert in last year's Opening Weekend, going from questioning whether he'd forgotten how to sprint after Saturday's defeat to a resounding answer with a fine dash for victory on Sunday.
After placing 94th last year in a race which has never favoured him in the past, the fastman had already shown on Saturday on the hills and cobbles of Omloop that his climbing and all around Classic aptitude was very much in top shape. All that was lacking after he and his team turned in a sterling performance all the way to the final kilometres of Nieuwsblad was the victory itself.
