"Racing wizz" Van den Broek applauded as dsm-firmenich PostNL loses the yellow and Jakobsen struggles

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL was undeniably the standout team of the opening weekend of the Tour de France. The Dutch squad claimed the stage victory and the yellow jersey with Romain Bardet on day one, saw Frank van den Broek shine, and the cameras caught a suffering Fabio Jakobsen at the back of the peloton. Three riders, three stories, and IDLProCycling.com is going to tell you all about it.

We've already extensively covered how Bardet and Van den Broek stunned the peloton with a brilliant duo attack on Saturday. The big question was: how would Team dsm-firmenich PostNL defend Bardet’s yellow jersey in a punishing stage over the steep San Luca? Send a strong breakaway ahead and letting them rack up a few minutes: check. Watch as the time bonuses disappear on the road and at the finish: check. Keep up with the favorites to prevent losing the leader’s jersey to one of them: in the end, no. Bardet's 15-second lead over Tadej Pogacar turned into a six-second deficit to the new leader.

"It was a really nice day out there and to ride in the yellow jersey was a truly special experience," Bardet reflected on the team’s website about his first day in yellow. "Right now, I’m a bit disappointed to have lost it of course, because the difference was only a few seconds at the line, but I tried to give everything, and the team did a really good job supporting me all day. We can be happy and pleased with the work we did today. There is still a lot more for us to fight for here as a team so we will keep going for it in the next stages and look for our next chances."

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Van den Broek earns praise after giant strides over the past year

Van den Broek couldn’t support his leader on Sunday like he had on Saturday when he managed to follow him. "We had a very simple plan, which was to defend Romain’s yellow. That didn’t quite work out, although I didn’t notice it all because I had to let go," he told IDLProCycling.com after the finish. Earlier that day at the start, we spoke with team leader Matt Winston about the 23-year-old sensation. "Frank is a young guy, but he's very smart and a racing wizz. He fits very well within the team," Winston said approvingly.

According to Winston, Van den Broek hasn’t necessarily surprised the team since he was promoted from the development squad in July 2023. "We knew he was talented, and he made great strides throughout the season. We expected him to compete at the front in races, but a performance like Saturday’s is incredible. To finish first and second like that is unbelievable. We will continue this path with him and won't change our objectives in the Tour. We will keep chasing stage wins and see how our plans with Frank develop in the coming years."

"I see him growing as a rider, getting stronger, and his race radar is improving. Let’s hope he continues to develop in that direction. If he maintains that open mindset, he will keep making progress," Winston continued, noting Van den Broek’s significant value to the team. "He thinks carefully about his approach, works closely with the team’s experts, and is off to a great start in our team. Moreover, he isn’t afraid to bring his own ideas to meetings so we can make plans together. It’s about communication, collaboration... We encourage riders to think about that, and although it’s Frank’s first Tour de France, he understands the sport."

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After two days of suffering... It's Jakobsen's turn

"On Monday, we will support Fabio in the sprint train as best we can," Van den Broek said after the finish. He was referring to Fabio Jakobsen, the sprinter who was also a big topic of conversation in the first two days. However, this was not because of good performances, but mainly for his suffering on the bike. Like Mark Cavendish (Astana), Jakobsen had to drop back early on both Saturday and Sunday. "You could tell your readers that I saved my legs well over the past two days," he said, his mood still upbeat, when this website caught up with him on Sunday afternoon.

"No, it didn’t feel better today. I got hit by the heat and had to ease off. Then cramps almost set in, and when the pace drops a bit, I can drink and keep riding. These are very tough days, maybe just a bit too tough for me," he assessed realistically. The question is how much his body has been affected after two hard days before the first sprint day on Monday. "We’ll see if I’m ready to sprint. It’s not ideal to have been suffering like this for two days, but I am ready for it. First, let’s eat and drink, and then hope the legs feel better on Monday."

Jakobsen noted that he mainly struggled with the hot weather in Italy. On Saturday, the mercury rose above 40 degrees. "And today the temperature felt maybe three degrees lower. Monday will be slightly cooler, so hopefully, I’ll suffer less in this stage. Then we’ll see." For Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and Jakobsen, the Tour essentially starts anew on day three. "We gave everything to go for it. It was a great start to the Tour for us as a team, but now we hit reset and move on again tomorrow," said Winston.

"Besides the sprints, keep an eye on Van den Broek, who is indeed thinking about his agenda. 'The breakaway on Tuesday might again go to the finish,' he said meaningfully."