Riesebeek hoping for Tour debut after strong spring: "Changing coaches brought new stimuli"

Alpecin-Deceuninck is preparing for the start of the Tour de France in Firenze with a pre-selection of nine riders, including two Dutchmen: world champion Mathieu van der Poel and Oscar Riesebeek, who honed his form for his potential debut in La Grande Boucle by participating in the Tour of Switzerland. In a discussion with IDLProCycling.com, he reflected on his strong spring season and what might lie ahead.

This spring, from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Riesebeek was one of the domestiques who consistently performed well for the Roodhooft brothers' team. This did not go unnoticed by cycling followers, as well as colleagues like Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe. In their podcast Watts Occuring after the Tour of Flanders, they praised the efforts of Riesebeek and his teammates.

"They deserve a big compliment. No matter how strong Mathieu is, he still needs a team around him. They were all incredible, but for me, Riesebeek was the Man of the Match," Rowe said in early April. "He was constantly at the front, guiding the peloton over the Oude Kwaremont and continuously repositioning them. This guy, big fella," the Welshman noted in his distinctive accent.

Riesebeek hadn't heard those compliments until we mentioned them to him in Villars-sur-Ollon. "Nice to hear, I hadn't heard that yet," the Dutchman smiled. He went on to explain his strong classics campaign. "I had a very good winter, there's a bit more peace and consistency, so maybe that's why I was able to take a certain step forward. I also switched coaches, so that gave me some new stimuli. So far, it all seems to be working out well, as the spring went very well and I'm looking forward to the upcoming period."

Riesebeek feels ready to support Van der Poel and Philipsen in the Tour

Along with Van der Poel, Philipsen, Jonas Rickaert, Robbe Ghys, Gianni Vermeersch, Soren Kragh Andersen, Silvan Dillier and Axel Laurance, he is in the preliminary selection for the Tour de France. "We had a good altitude camp in La Plagne and the Tour of Switzerland is just a good preparation for what might come next. At least the Dutch National Championships, which I will definitely ride, and normally also the Tour. It's still a bit uncertain, but I've had a good spring and my form is still good. If I go to the Tour, it would be my debut. That would be really great, of course."

"It's just difficult to show something in the Tour of Switzerland," acknowledges the 31-year-old fast rider. "It's mostly uphill, and that's not really my specialty (laughs). But in the first two days, we worked well for Axel Laurance, so all in all, it should be fine." That is indeed the role he aims for in the Tour. "I have a supporting role. In the end, I will always serve a Jasper Philipsen or Mathieu van der Poel to help them try to win stages."

This season, we didn't get images from France of a suddenly bald Van der Poel, but Riesebeek enjoyed the vibe that prevailed in the team during the altitude camp. "The atmosphere is very good. The altitude camp was in a very large house, which creates less of a training camp feeling than if you're all separated in hotel rooms."

"We actually rode very calmly during the training camp for the first time together, without playing any games," notes Riesebeek, who has confidence in his compatriot Van der Poel for the important summer months. "Mathieu also seemed very relaxed. He's doing fine and he's now in Spain, so I have every confidence that things will go well for him as we head towards the Tour."

For Riesebeek himself, there is first another championship on the calendar, during which he can ride for himself. We're of course referring to the Dutch National Championships, where he has shown great performances in recent years. "It's in Arnhem, quite close to where I live. Technically, the course might be a bit easier than the last one, but it's very winding and turning," he knows. "I hope that after the combination of altitude camp and the Tour of Switzerland, I can start in good form. Hopefully, we'll have a tough race. Lars Boven and Ramon Sinkeldam will also be there, but a National Championship is always special. Sometimes it's incomprehensible."