From Evenepoel to Van der Poel, and from Vingegaard to Van Aert: who will be riding where this summer?

For Mathieu van der Poel, 2023 has been a fantastic year so far. The 28-year-old Dutchman became the world champion in cyclocross on February 5th, after which his focus shifted entirely to the road season. The versatile Alpecin-Deceuninck rider also completed impressive performances in the spring classics, adding both Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix to his victory list. He finished second in the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders.

The next two main objectives for 'MVDP' are the Tour de France, which starts on July 1st with a stage that suits Van der Poel, and the World Championships in Glasgow (Sunday, August 6th). In preparation for 'La Grande Boucle,' Van der Poel will first participate in Dwars door het Hageland on June 10th, followed by the Baloise Belgium Tour (June 14th-18th) to fully prepare for the Tour de France.

Wout van Aert can also look back on a strong spring. The Jumbo-Visma all-rounder finished in the top four in all five of the spring classics he completed. He only emerged victorious in the E3 Saxo Classic. Like Van der Poel, the Tour de France and the World Championships are Van Aert's top priorities when it comes to his race schedule for this calendar year.

Unlike his arch-rival, Van Aert will indeed participate in the Tour of Switzerland. The eloquent Belgian will skip the Baloise Belgium Tour - a home race. After the Tour de France, where he will ride both for himself and in support of Jonas Vingegaard, Van Aert hopes to make an impact at the World Championships in both the road race (August 6th) and the individual time trial (August 11th). His participation in the Renewi Tour (formerly Eneco Tour and BinckBank Tour), which starts August 23rd, is also almost certain.

Vingegaard was at the start of three stage races this calendar year, winning two of them (O Gran Camino and the Tour of the Basque Country). In Paris-Nice, won by Tadej Pogacar, the modest Dane finished third. The 26-year-old general classification rider will start in the Criterium du Dauphiné. There, he will have to compete against riders such as Adam Yates, David Gaudu and Enric Mas. The Dauphiné naturally serves as the ultimate preparation race for the Tour de France, which he hopes to win for the second consecutive time.

After a somewhat disappointing Vuelta a San Juan, Remco Evenepoel gloriously won the UAE Tour. The 'Cannibal of Schepdaal' then finished second in the Tour of Catalonia, just behind overall winner Primoz Roglic. Liège-Bastogne-Liège was right up his alley and he seemed to be the man to beat in the Giro d'Italia. However, as we all know, a positive COVID-19 test disrupted his plans.

His absence in Italy sparked speculation about a possible participation in the Tour de France. However, those rumors were quickly put to rest. Evenepoel will restart in the Tour of Switzerland and then proceed to the Belgian National Championships and a high-altitude training camp, before heading to the World Championships in Glasgow. The Vuelta a España in August is also an option, but the decision regarding his participation will only be made later.

Tadej Pogacar was the man of this spring. The Slovenian of UAE Team Emirates seemed to win everything there was to win: the Ruta del Sol, Paris-Nice, the Tour of Flanders, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne. "Pogi" was also one of the main contenders for victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, ultimately won by Evenepoel, but he crashed hard and had to withdraw.

The Slovenian started a rehabilitation process, never hiding his conviction that he would be able to go full throttle again in the Tour de France. Pogacar admitted to still experiencing some pain, but recently announced that he is allowed to train outdoors again. He will spend several weeks training at high altitude to improve his fitness, before exploring several Tour stages in the Alps and concluding his Tour preparation with a training camp in Sestrières. As part of his preparation, he will only participate in the Slovenian National Championship in road cycling and the individual time trial.

In 2023, Primoz Roglic also participated in three races, all of which he managed to win. The Slovenian former ski jumper added Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Giro d'Italia to his list of victories. Initially, it was expected that the Jumbo-Visma team leader would target the Vuelta a España, but after his triumph in the Giro, speculations about his participation in the Tour de France emerged. When asked about his Tour ambitions shortly after winning the Giro, Roglic responded, "Maybe. I don't know. Who knows. I always say: you never know what happens in life, what challenges and opportunities you get."

However, those stories can now be discarded. Roglic is not on the list for the Tour de France, and if a rider were to drop out, Wilco Kelderman will take his place. Roglic will celebrate his Giro victory in Slovenia and will then make plans for the second part of the season. The Vuelta a España and the Tour of Lombardy could be his main objectives.