Doubts surround Carapaz, so EF will attack and sprint: "Anyone including him in their pool has made a good call"

EF Education-EasyPost is a team that typically fields a strong contender for the general classification in the Tour de France. However, with Richard Carapaz not being in top form, the fireworks might come from other riders. IDLProCycling.com spoke to standout Alberto Bettiol and EF’s wildcard Marijn van den Berg about their strategy. If you haven't finalized your Tour pool yet, there might be some decisive advice here.

This Saturday, EF Education-EasyPost will be at the start with Carapaz as the apparent leader, although the Ecuadorian has had several crashes this year and was still recovering from illness before the Tour. He wasn’t the only one facing issues. "Our selection process took quite a while because the doctors had to give the all-clear. It was a bit chaotic, but in theory, everyone got fit just in time," says Van den Berg. "I don’t think anyone really knows how good Richi will be. He’ll initially try for the general classification, but it's not really the team’s goal. Otherwise, we would have brought more domestiques. Now, we’re riding more as a team of stage hunters. We’ll see how he fares in the first few days, and maybe we’ll still go for the GC. If not, we can focus more on doing our own thing."

Bettiol agrees. "I think it’s smart for the team to start without GC ambitions. Richard will show us what we should do with him. Will he go for the GC or stage wins, and maybe even the polka dot jersey? He’s a champion, despite the difficulties he’s had this year. He’s one of the best climbers in the world, but sometimes all the bad luck in the world hits you in one year. We can expect something from him, but we’ll see how good he’ll be," says the newly crowned Italian champion.

Continue reading below the photo.

Bettiol in top form heading into Tour de France

Bettiol is shining in his new Italian national champion jersey. This year, he also won Milan-Turin and a stage in the Boucles de la Mayenne, but his national title last Sunday was the standout achievement. "I feel great, starting the Tour in my city, Florence, and as the national champion. Being the national champion is amazing, but riding the whole Tour in the tricolor is a big deal for a small cycling nation like Italy. We’re not as big as we used to be, so I’m going to do my best for the whole country."

Van den Berg highlights how strong Bettiol is. "I think anyone who picked him in their pool has made a good call. Alberto is going to show a lot. He’s super motivated, very happy, and today (Friday, ed.) when we were on his wheel during a climbing test, he recorded his third all-time power on a five-minute climb. I think he’s in excellent shape, and being the Italian champion will give him wings. He’s definitely someone to watch."

Bettiol, who will also compete for Italy in the Olympics and the World Championships after the Tour, grins when confronted with his teammate's words. How is it that after years of injuries and bad luck, he’s back in such good form? "Hard work, my friend," he winks, knowing he’s heading into a crucial period with the Tour, the Olympics and the World Championships. "I think it’s not necessarily harder work, but better work. The team and I have made some mistakes in the past, and I had many physical issues. I’m past that now, and there are no big secrets. I work hard, but so does everyone else. You won't see any riders going to nightclubs on Saturday nights. Maybe I’ve had more luck this year and I’m mentally more relaxed. I believe in myself more than in the past."

Continue reading below the photo.

Van den Berg wants to discover himself during Tour debut

Besides Carapaz and Bettiol, EF Education-EasyPost will also field Van den Berg. Stefan Bissegger, Ben Healy, Rui Costa, Sean Quinn and Neilson Powless complete the roster. It’s an impressive lineup, with Van den Berg being the only true fast rider. "I hope to show something in the tougher stages or maybe from a breakaway. I expect to be more involved in the bunch sprints, but I’m not a pure sprinter. It would be nice to achieve a good result there since we don’t really have someone for the GC."

When asked about competing with someone like Sam Bennett, he continues, "Looking at his resume, yes, I might not measure up. I’m going to try, and if I can position myself well and find an opening, I might not be worse. It will be my first time racing in that chaos, so we’ll see. I don’t really know how high the level will be and how I’ll match up. I am hoping for a top-three or top-five finish. I’d be satisfied with that."

Van den Berg’s Tour debut had been in the cards for some time. "I think I’m in good shape. I’ve raced some different events since the spring, first at altitude with the team in Sierra Nevada, then at Mayenne to work on my form, followed by heat training and hard work in Girona. In the Tour of Switzerland, we assessed my climbing ability, and that went quite well. That clarified to the team that I was good enough to go to the Tour, despite a cold after Switzerland. I recovered in time for the Dutch Nationals, which I might have otherwise skipped. But I felt good there, so the team didn’t have to intervene."

Continue reading below the photo.

Does stage 1 in the Tour de France suit EF Education-EasyPost?

With Van den Berg’s climbing legs, we wondered whether stage one might immediately be right up his alley. He laughs: "Day one is just a matter of getting through it. It’s too tough for me." No, EF will likely focus more on Bettiol for the stage win and the first yellow jersey. " I want to do well for my team and for family and friends along the course. But I have to be realistic. The yellow jersey is at stake, and I know that the first stage of a grand tour is always stressful and tough. If we arrive in a small group, then guys like Van Aert and Van der Poel are faster in the sprint. And if they’re not there, there’s always Tadej Pogacar. He can do everything, undoubtedly even make a good pasta and espresso. So, he can also sprint, and I have to see what I can do."

"I’m not going to put pressure on myself, but I’ve done my homework to be ready," the Italian continues. "I haven’t scouted the first stage, but I know the first climbs well. As a team, we approach the Tour in the same tactical way as any other race because it’s still just a bike race. With today’s technology, we don’t need to scout anymore. We know everything."

Van den Berg seems to be spot on in tipping Bettiol for an excellent Tour. Conversely, the in-form rider is also full of praise for his Dutch teammate. "Marijn is very talented. He needs a few more years to be at his best, and this Tour de France will give him that much-needed experience. He was quite stressed because he wanted to start here so badly. He worked hard for it and is very ambitious. In a few years, we’ll see his full potential. The Tour isn’t the Vuelta, Tour of Poland or Tour of Burgos, and he knows that. He’ll have to fight hard in the toughest race of the year, but we believe he will play an important role in the future."