Unlike last year, Mathieu van der Poel is not among the contenders for the first yellow jersey. Simply because there are better time trialists. Van der Poel is especially looking forward to the cobblestone ride to Arenberg.
In the peloton, on the bike, he often seems like a one-man army. Mathieu van der Poel also does the virtual press conference of his team on his own. Where other teams push several riders forward, whether or not supplemented by a sports director, at Alpecin-Deceuninck a conversation with only Van der Poel is sufficient. Eye-catcher by nature, superstar on two wheels.
After his dream debut in last year’s Tour – stage win and yellow jersey in stage 2 and then another 6 days in yellow – expectations around Van der Poel are once again high. He is not used to anything different, but Van der Poel preaches realism the day before the start. He mainly wants to win a stage, but getting yellow in the first days will be difficult.
,,Last year, with those first two stages, that was a really big opportunity for me. That is less this year, it is also a lesser major stress factor. I have to see what is possible and I don’t know what I can do against specialists in the time trial. If I can narrow the difference to 10 or 15 seconds, I can try some more in the days to come.”
If it succeeds – still put on a yellow jersey – there is a good chance that it will not be in Denmark, predicts Van der Poel. ,,But maybe it can be done until that Roubaix stage. I think it will be difficult to do anything in the two stages after the time trial. Maybe if there is wind, but they don’t predict that and then I think it will be bunch sprints. In that Roubaix stage I expect some more differences. The bike has to hold, but I’m really looking forward to that.”
Van der Poel enjoyed the massive audience at the team performance the day before in Copenhagen. ,,A completely different atmosphere than last year with such a large audience. It’s more fun for us riders, it gives a different dynamic to the race. As before, I was in Denmark for the Cyclo-cross World Cup and a year later for the Cross Country World Cup (2019, ed.). So I already knew that the Danes Danes are crazy about cycling.”
The fact that corona is spreading again in the peloton the day before the Tour start does little for Van der Poel. ,,Many riders get covid again, but I’m not really worried about it. I’m not afraid of it either. It’s something that’s hard to control, so don’t worry too much about it. Whether you get it is a lottery. I’ve never had it and hope not to get it here.”
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