Mathieu van der Poel will never be the biggest fan of the Tour de France, but the thirty-year-old Dutchman has nothing to complain about the course this year. Especially in the first week, there are many opportunities for a stage victory.
Van der Poel has to laugh on Thursday afternoon at one of the last questions at his press conference in the warm opera house of Lille. Is he only participating in the Tour because the sponsors of his team Alpecin-Deceuninck want that?
“Well, it’s not my decision,” Van der Poel jokes. Then, in a more serious tone: “It’s logical that the team wants me to ride the Tour. I’ve had a few less good experiences in this race, but it remains the biggest event in cycling. And so it’s an honor to be allowed to start in it. I certainly don’t get on my bike with reluctance.”
Van der Poel starts his fifth Tour de France in Lille on Saturday. At his debut in 2021, he won a stage and wore the yellow leader’s jersey for six days. After that, he had no individual success in the Tour. In recent years, he regularly indicated that the course in France offered few opportunities for a classics rider like him and that he therefore rode around with little pleasure.
Van der Poel does not have that complaint this time. In the first ten days of the Tour, there are certainly four stages that seem to be made for the former world champion, with short, steep climbs in the final. “I don’t think the organization took my opinion into account,” says ‘VDP’ with a smile. “But it is true that there are many opportunities for me in this Tour.”
‘We are going to see many beautiful races in the first week’
The first stage on Saturday is flat, so Van der Poel will normally work for sprinter Jasper Philipsen in that stage. Sunday seems to be the first chance for Van der Poel himself. There is still a steep hill 5 kilometers from the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
It is therefore not an unrealistic scenario that Philipsen will conquer the first yellow jersey and Van der Poel will take over the leader’s jersey from his teammate on day two. “If only it were that easy,” says Van der Poel.
“On paper, there is a very nice opening week for me and my team. But that doesn’t mean we’re just going to win. Many people forget that a stage in the Tour of 180 kilometers is very different from a classic of 260 kilometers. That gives a very different dynamic.”
Moreover, the biggest favorites for the overall victory – Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – can also handle hilly courses well. That became clear once again last month in the Critérium du Dauphiné, in which Van der Poel was defeated in the difficult first stage by Pogacar and Vingegaard.
“We will see beautiful races in the first ten days, but it will also be very nervous,” says Van der Poel. “There are many riders on the starting list who will also see opportunities.”
Van der Poel is looking forward to returning to Mûr-de-Bretagne
Van der Poel did not want to say on Thursday which stage he sees as his biggest chance in advance. But it is clear that he is looking forward to the seventh stage, with finish on the Mûr-de-Bretagne. ‘VDP’ won his only Tour stage on that hill in 2021.
“It will be fun to return there,” says Van der Poel. “That is the place where my most beautiful Tour memory lies. So that will always remain special.”
That is also why Van der Poel starts the Tour de France with a lot of ambition on Saturday. “Maybe I was even more excited at the start in 2021, because it was my first time then. But even now I am looking forward to a great Tour.”