The Tour de France will start on Saturday in Lille. At the start of the opening stage are three people from Brabant: Mathieu van der Poel, Danny van Poppel (Moergestel) and Mike Teunissen (Rosmalen). Can they add new Brabant success to the rich history of our province in the Tour? For example, Brabanders have been doing it in the last fifty years.
The last Brabant stage in the Tour dates from 2021, when Mathieu van der Poel won the ride from Libourne to Saint-émilion. He wore the yellow jersey for six days, but stepped off after the ninth stage to focus on the Olympic Games.
“I don’t want to throw my good shape in the garbage,” said the son of former cyclist Adrie van der Poel (Bergen op Zoom) and grandson of the French rider Raymond Poulidor at the time.
In recent years, the Tour has been changeable for Van der Poel, but this year more seems possible. Especially in the second stage there are opportunities: the arrival is on a slight slope, with two sturdy climbing in the last ten kilometers that look good. He may grab the yellow leader’s sweater that day.
There are also similar options on day four and six. There are also opportunities with the stages to the Mûr-de-Bretagne-the place of his first Tour victory in 2021-and Laval.
Van der Poel (30) rode a strong spring with victories in Milan-Sanremo, the E3 Saxo Classic Me and Paris-Roubaix. He finished third in the Tour of Flanders. In the event of a failed trip to mountain biking, he walked a break in his wrist through a fall in the World Cup competition in Nobe Mesto. His performance in the Critérium du Dauphiné last June was less striking: no stage victory and a 58th place in the rankings.
In addition to Van der Poel, Danny van Poppel also participates. He supports his leaders Primoz Roglic and Florian Lipowitz. He also has to help Sprinter Jordi Meeus in mass sprints. Van Poppel (31), who won the Dutch title last Saturday, is the son of former rider Jean-Paul van Poppel, also a successful tour rider.
The third Brabander is Mike Teunissen, born in Ysselsteyn, Limburg, but he has been living in Rosmalen for years. The Astana rider will support Cees Bol as a lead-out in the sprint. On July 6, 2019, he surprisingly won the first stage and became the first Dutch gatherer after Erik Breukink in 1989.
Brabantse Tour successes of the past 50 years
Brabant had several touring successes in recent decades. An overview:
- 2019 – Steven Kruijswijk from Nuenen finishes third in the general classification, behind Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas. He was already fifth in 2018.
- 2014 – Lars Boom from Vlijmen surprises everyone with a win in the cobblestone ride from Ypres to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut.
- 1998 – Jeroen Blijlevens from Rijen wins the stage from Plouay to Cholet. He also won stages in 1997, 1996 and 1995.
- 1994-Tilburger Jean-Paul van Poppel wins the stage from Roubaix to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Two years earlier he won the Luxembourg-Staatsbourg stage (14 July) and also in 1991 he booked a stage victory (Le Havre-Argentan).
- 1989-Jelle Nijdam from Zundert wins in Sarrebourg-Vittel. A year earlier also successful in Neufchâtel-en-Bray-Liévin.
- 1988-Jean-Paul van Poppel wins in Belfort-Besançon and Adrie van der Poel (father of Mathieu) from Bergen op Zoom takes his stage victory in Tarbes-Pau.
- 1987-Jelle Nijdam from wins the opening time trial in West Berlin. Nico Verhoeven (Berkel-Enschot), Jean-Paul van Poppel (two stages) and Adrie van der Poel (Orléans-Renazé) also provide a Brabant top year.
- 1986-Johan van der Velde from Rijsbergen wins in Villers-sur-Mer.
- 1985 – Johan Lammerts (Bergen op Zoom) wins a ride.
- 1983 – Two victories: Frits Pirard (Breda) and Bert Oosterbosch (Eindhoven).
- 1982 – Johan van der Velde finishes third in the final classification, behind Hinault and Zoetemelk.
- 1981-Van der Velde wins two stages (Nice-Martigues & Auxerre-Fontenay-Sous-Bois).
- 1980-Bert Oosterbosch wins in Flers-Saint-Malo.
