Dutch riders over Dutch mountain: ‘I’m sure you’ll get a beer’ | NOW

The fourteenth stage of the Tour de France will be held on Thursday on the French holiday, but with a finish on the iconic Alpe d’Huez it promises to be a Dutch party in the final. NU.nl spoke with five Dutch Tour riders about their memories of and expectations for the Dutch mountain.

Taco van der Hoorn: ‘I expect a Dutch madhouse’

“I had asked some friends to go to Alpe d’Huez on Thursday with a beer, but they chose to watch the cobblestone ride last week. Well, I think I’ll probably get a beer now too. Whether I can take it depends on how hard I am fighting to meet the time limit.”

“It is an illusion that I can be in the leading group on Thursday, but I have been looking forward to this stage for months. The start of the stage with the climb of the Galibier is a bit less, but it seems very nice to be in the Tour Alpe d’Huez. I’ve never been there, only know the climb from TV. And it always looked very cool in those images. I expect a Dutch madhouse, especially in the Dutch corner.”

Bauke Mollema: ‘That wall of sound always gives a kick’

“This will be the fifth time that I will climb Alpe d’Huez in the Tour (after 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018, ed.) and I have always loved riding through such a hedge of people. wall of sound, that always gives a kick. Alpe d’Huez is quite a difficult climb, but because of all that audience and all those Dutch people it always goes by fairly quickly. That’s nice.”

“I can still remember very well that in 2011, on my first Tour in the first kilometer of Alpe d’Huez, I went up very fast on adrenaline and rode between the classification riders. But after that it was done quickly. I never really felt on this climb “I drove a good result. It would be nice if it works out on Thursday, because this seems to me the best Tour stage to win. At the same time, it’s not my most realistic chance of winning this round.”

Martijn Tusveld: ‘Very cool that I can go on Alpe d’Huez in the first Tour’

“I rode up Alpe d’Huez once. I was twelve, I was on holiday with my parents and I didn’t even have a racing bike. At that time it was the hardest climb I had ever done. Now I know it’s a very difficult, but not the most difficult climb. But in the Netherlands it will always remain the most famous climb. And based on the images I have seen from previous Tours, I expect a very special day.”

“I think it’s very cool that I can immediately go on Alpe d’Huez in my first Tour. I am especially looking forward to turn seven, the Dutch corner. I am curious whether we still have to pedal hard there or whether it will happen almost automatically. In any case, be careful that I don’t run into anyone.”

“I really want to get into the leading group on this stage, although it will be a very difficult stage with the Galibier and the Croix de Fer first. I hope to participate in the front in any case. Either by attacking myself, or by helping my leader Romain Bardet to the stage win. It’s the French holiday, so it will also be very busy with French people cheering for Romain.”

Danny van Poppel: ‘Maybe I should put on orange glasses’

“When I woke up on Tuesday morning with a bit of a sore throat, I immediately thought: shit. I have never ridden the Alpe d’Huez in the Tour and I really want to take that off my bucket list. Fortunately, my corona test was negative, because I have a lot of pain. I’m really looking forward to this ride. I expect a lot of Dutch people and hope they recognize me. Maybe I should put on orange glasses.”

“I have already experienced quite a few races with many fans, for example, there were a lot of people at the World Cup in Belgium last year. But you never get used to it and always gives a fantastic feeling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. you start cycling faster from all the encouragement, but a little push now and then would be nice.”

Nils Eekhoff: ‘I hope I spot my friends in the crowd’

“I’ve been thinking the last few days about what to expect from my very first time Alpe d’Huez, but I really don’t think I have any idea what’s coming my way. And I mean both the number of fans and the difficulty of the I am very curious, for a Dutch rider this must be the most special col to ride in the Tour.”

“A few friends have made this ride a little holiday trip. I hope I can spot them in the crowd on the climb. They have said they might want to make a banner for me, who knows maybe it will make it a little easier to to recognize.”

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