🎥 How did he stay upright?! Philipsen miraculously avoids nasty crash at Baloise Belgium Tour

Philipsen was a little too far behind when Merlier attacked. He wanted to get on the wheel of the Soudal Quick-Step sprinter, but Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies) was still in front. While the Belgian tried maneuvering to the left side of the road, the Frenchman went straight ahead. The result was spectacular: Philipsen was almost thrown off his bike, but against all odds, he stayed upright.

His sprint chances went up in smoke. He explained to Het Laatste Nieuws exactly what went wrong. “We were in a good position,” he said about the run-up to the sprint. “But in the penultimate corner, we lost some positions, which meant I had to start my sprint a little further back. Of course, I would have liked to have been on Tim's wheel to go for the sprint, but unfortunately, there was someone in between.”

That was Tesson. It was a shame because the nine-time Tour de France stage winner's legs were in good shape. “I felt fine and thought I could definitely get a good result. Until... I made a mistake and got stuck behind Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies). It's a shame, but luckily I stayed upright. It could have ended differently and much worse. Now it's on to Thursday for another chance.”

In the second stage, the sprinters will battle it out again in the flat stage to Putte. A local circuit will take the peloton over the Peullsbaan five times, a short cobbled section, but normally, it will be a stage for the fast men.