Jasper Philipsen will decide on his next team after Paris-Roubaix as five teams hunt his signature

Jasper Philipsen will sit down and decide on his future team after Paris-Roubaix, as GCN understands that five potential squads hope to sign the Milan-San Remo winner.

The 26-year-old is out of contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck at the end of this season and is looking to sign a four-year deal this summer as he solidifies his home for what should be the best years of his career.

As already reported, Bora-Hansgrohe and UAE Team Emirates - Phiipsen’s former team - are currently in the running for the Belgian’s signature.

But GCN understands that EF Education-EasyPost, Tudor Pro Cycling and his current team, Alpecin-Deceuninck, have all expressed interest in building a roster around the sprinter. Soudal Quick-Step, who had been linked to the team earlier this spring, are not in the running as things stand.

Bora-Hansgrohe have been linked to several new signings due to their investment from Red Bull, who are now the majority shareholders of the German team. According to sources, Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) will make the move to the team next year, while Classics revelation Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) has already been linked to the team by GCN earlier this month. The team signed Sam Welsford last year, and the Australian repaid their faith by winning three stages of the Tour Down Under during his WorldTour debut for the team.

Philipsen would bolster the team’s sprinting options and give them far greater depth in the spring Classics - an area in which they’ve previously struggled. Philipsen was second on Paris-Roubaix last year and won Classic Brugge-De Panne just a few days after his Milan-San Remo success.

Read more: Milan-San Remo: Jasper Philipsen takes victory in photo-finish sprint

UAE could also be a viable option, having worked with the Belgian during his neo-pro years between 2019 and 2020. GCN understands that despite holding the ranking as the best team in the world and having stacked options for stage racing, the team are keen on adding a sprinter after last year’s departure of Pascal Ackermann left them with only Sebastián Molano.

One of Philipsen’s main requirements is that a future contract runs for four years. The World Championships take place in Abu Dhabi in 2028, with a parcours perfect for sprinters. Winning that race would set up Philipsen for a new deal and at a high price, despite his advanced age.

Tudor, although not currently in the WorldTour, has built up a strong sprint and lead-out contingent under the stewardship of team boss Fabian Cancellara. They have signed strong sprinters over the last two years, including Alberto Dainese, but Philipsen would certainly elevate that roster.

Read more: Nice and ruthless? Merlier-Philipsen clash at De Panne reveals contrasting characters

EF Education Easy-Post currently focus on one-day events and stage races and hasn’t had a truly competitive sprinter for several years, perhaps going as far back as Tyler Farrar in the early 2010s. Signing Philipsen probably seems like a longshot for the American team at present but the Belgian would certainly provide the squad with a new pathway to victories.

"We need more time,” Philipsen’s agent Alex Carera told GCN, although he refrained from confirming the teams linked to one of his star clients.

"Many teams, many big teams, are interested in him but we’ll only decide after Roubaix. For now, he just wanted to focus on his racing. He has many goals in the next two weeks.”

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