Mathieu van der Poel has been a key to Alpecin-Deceuninck’s achievements on the Tour de France within the first week, delivering an unbeatable lead-out for Jasper Philipsen in all three of the Belgian’s stage victories. The haul of factors has given Philipsen a 110-point lead within the inexperienced jersey competitors over the next-best rider.
On the primary relaxation day in Clermont-Ferrand, Van der Poel and Philipsen mirrored on what was a better-than-expected opening to the Tour for the Dutch-speaking media.
By all measures, the race is already a hit for the staff and for Van der Poel, who’s the final man for Philipsen this yr, and after 9 days of sacrificing his possibilities, there can also be some alternatives for Van der Poel so as to add a second stage win to his palmares.
“Tomorrow’s and Thursday’s phases look OK on paper, though it’s all the time troublesome to estimate whether or not will probably be a breakaway or a thinned peloton,” Van der Poel mentioned in a report on Sporza.
Van der Poel has no regrets that he gave up any probability of successful within the first week. “After all, I wish to win myself. If I had participated within the dash myself, I might need completed shut, however the probability of successful is all the time better with Jasper.”
Van der Poel wasn’t the deliberate final man for Philipsen this yr, that position is often reserved for Jonas Rickaert, however in Tirreno-Adriatico, Rickaert wasn’t on the staff.
“At first the order was reversed and I went earlier than Ramon Sinkeldam,” Van der Poel defined. On that stage to Follonica, Fabio Jakobsen beat Philipsen. “However a day later I urged turning it round and placing me because the final man.”
Two stage wins with Van der Poel as final man in Tirreno-Adriatico had been sufficient for the staff to roll out the brand new practice for the Tour de France, with Rickaert second to final earlier than Van der Poel.
“It is a simple position for me. I blindly belief Jonas, he truly makes my job simple,” Van der Poel mentioned.
This week, the Tour de France route will get decidedly harder with only one stage for Philipsen. Tuesday’s stage to Issoire has 5 categorised climbs, the final being 31km from the end. A flat stage follows on Wednesday earlier than one other day with quick, steep climbs ending with 29km to go. The race then heads again into the excessive mountains.
Philipsen’s useful lead makes him the very best wager to win the inexperienced jersey in Paris however he is not able to relaxation on his laurels.
“We’ve to stay important, that is why each dash remains to be being analysed. We will not assume it is going to all go simple,” Philipsen mentioned.
“I am in a great place, however it’s nonetheless a great distance off.”
This week he faces a struggle primarily for intermediate dash factors, which come nestled amongst some powerful climbs. Even the flat stage to Moulins has a climb earlier than the intermediate dash.
“I actually should not miss out on factors when my rivals do take them,” Philipsen mentioned. “Within the coming phases, will probably be troublesome to gather so much within the intermediate sprints, though that will even be the case for the opposite sprinters.
“Wednesday, in direction of Moulins, could also be my solely probability for dash success subsequent week. That’s the place my focus is now.”