Interview | Stuyven rides in service of Pedersen but also pursues his own luck: "Definitely chasing stage wins"

Jasper Stuyven raced to an impressive third place at the Belgian Championship, won by Remco Evenepoel. He also performed well in the Baloise Belgium Tour, which was considered his final stage race before the Tour de France. Stuyven finished fifth overall in his home race. During the five-day race through Belgium, IDLProCycling.com spoke with the 31-year-old rocket!

Stuyven himself admits that his spring season didn't unfold as he had hoped. The friendly rider from Leuven managed to grab two top-ten finishes in the classics, finishing tenth in both Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Milan-Sanremo, the race he won in 2021. "I was able to position myself occasionally, but it wasn't a successful spring," said Stuyven, referring to his much better classifications in the 2022 classics. "This year, I did feel that I was good enough, but the results didn't always materialize."

"Statistically, it didn't pay off, but in terms of how I feel, it certainly did," Stuyven said on skipping Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico

"There were times I got a flat tire at a bad moment, and then I also crashed at the worst possible moment," the unlucky rider continued his account. "Quite a few things happened that were beyond my control. You simply have to accept that. It's a little bit easier to accept when you know you were in good form. I knew I had the legs. On the other hand, it's also a bit disappointing because there were great opportunities to capitalize on my good shape."

Stuyven will represent Lidl-Trek at the start of the Tour de France. This means that the star rider will be heading to the biggest cycling event in the world for the sixth consecutive time, as he has been to every edition since 2018 - no exceptions. Stuyven does mention that he approached his preparation for 'la Grande Boucle' differently this year than in previous years. "I didn't ride Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico in March. Instead, I went on a high-altitude training camp. I am very satisfied with that choice. Statistically, it didn't pay off, but in terms of how I feel, it certainly did."

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In the sprint stages, Stuyven tries to lead Pedersen to stage wins

"In previous years, I would spend a month in Tenerife before the Tour de France, but this time I just went to our high-altitude hotel in Dénia (Spain, ed.) for two weeks. Plus, I stayed home a little longer than usual," explained the articulate Flemish rider. "I also didn't ride the Critérium du Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse, but instead, I started in the Tour of Norway and the Baloise Belgium Tour," he aptly described his slightly different preparation for the Tour de France.

Stuyven starts the Tour with great ambition and will likely have the freedom to occasionally chase his own luck. "I will definitely be aiming for stage wins. But for riders like me, it has been proven in the past that it's not that simple, although I will definitely chase a stage win. In the truly flat stages, I will contribute to helping Mads (Pedersen, ed.) as best as possible."