"That's where the secret lies, I think"; Van der Poel and team explain Alpecin-Deceuninck's explosive start after rest day

Finally: that was the prevailing feeling at Alpecin-Deceuninck after Jasper Philipsen's stage win in the Tour de France. His final lead-out men, Mathieu van der Poel and Robbe Ghys, happily recounted their story afterward, rightfully noting that the sprint preparation was flawless.

Van der Poel shared his account with Eurosport. "We did a fantastic job with the team, always positioning well at the front in the corners. It was tricky, and we knew we had to be at the front there, which we managed well. That Jasper finished off this good work was perfect," said the Dutchman, who did an impressive final turn.

Philipsen had a tough time after the previous sprints, but Van der Poel didn’t need to act as a mental coach. "I didn’t talk much with Jasper. He just needed to not doubt himself and start his sprint when he felt it was right," the Dutchman said.

"In the sprint against Dylan Groenewegen, we also did a perfect lead-out, but then he hesitated too much. We told him that he should just go for it, and then it’s easier even if you get beaten," Van der Poel explained.

Alpecin-Deceuninck riders feel better than in the first week

According to Van der Poel, it’s not surprising that things didn’t work out in the first days. "It's always tough in the first week. It doesn't get easier, but the peloton gets more tired, and then you can make a difference. We were all very motivated and really wanted to go for it because there aren’t many chances."

Robbe Ghys, the penultimate man, confirmed this. "We owe a lot to the performance team; that’s where the secret lies, I think. We come out of the first week better than the rest; I feel much better than in the first four days. That’s a big difference and made us more motivated, especially because there aren’t many more opportunities," said the Belgian.

"What a relief," said the overjoyed Ghys. "It’s unfortunate that it took so long, but we did a perfect lead-out again and made no mistakes. It was textbook; I don’t think you can do it better," he proudly stated.