Van der Poel’s long hiatus ends as Tour looms: "Hard to prove myself"

From April 22 to June 28, 2024, Mathieu van der Poel took a more than two-month break in his season. This Saturday, the world road racing champion of Alpecin-Deceuninck is starting the Tour de France with just seven (!) race days in his legs, where he obviously nurtures his ambitions, alongside Jasper Philipsen.

What was MVDP up to during these past weeks? "I did a lot of training, first in La Plagne with the team and then alone. Everything went well, so I feel good," said the Dutchman, who traveled to his beloved Spain to put the finishing touches on his preparation for La Grande Boucle.

What drove him to take such a long break from racing? "It was a long period if you include the cyclo-cross season and extend it to Liège. I needed a longer break after a long phase of focus. I had to regain my motivation to train, and it was relaxing to have such a long preparation period for the Tour de France. Now I ill have another long period, with the Olympics included. So this rest period was necessary."

In between Florence and Rimini, he may get a chance at the yellow jersey and a stage win right away. "The first two stages are tough, and just like last year, it’s hard to say if it’s possible. It will depend on how the race develops, although I think it might be a bit too tough. We'll see. I haven't gone all in on it. I’ll try to survive, and maybe we’ll sprint with a small group. On paper, it looks challenging, and the yellow jersey is also at stake. It’s going to be tough regardless."

"The Tour de France isn’t necessarily harder, but there are only a few opportunities for a rider like me. In the sprint stages, we will logically go for Jasper, and the easier transition stages nowadays often have 3,000 meters of climbing, so they aren’t that easy anymore. That makes it hard to show yourself," the world champion recalls from last year's edition.

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Van der Poel wants to reach Nice, even though the Olympics follow shortly after

There have been rumors that Van der Poel might leave the Tour early, with the Paris Olympics in mind. He doesn’t want to commit to that idea just yet. "I want to ride the full Tour de France, where I aim for a stage win and will support Jasper in the flat stages. Similar to last year, although I was sick for a while back then. This time, I hope to seize my own chances as well."

And looking at the overall goals of his team Alpecin-Deceuninck? "I think Jasper’s Tour can still be successful even if he doesn’t win the green jersey. Of course, it’s a goal, and if we have good sprints, that jersey will naturally come into play. That’s also what he should focus on, winning stages," he advises his teammate in conclusion.