“It’s a race that doesn’t excite me. Apart from trying to win stages and wear the Yellow Jersey, there is not much to gain for me in the Tour,” explains the grandson of Raymond Poulidor. “I prefer to do five races where I am able to win than 20 stages where I am not competing for victory half the time,” argues “MVDP” which will celebrate its 30th anniversary on January 19.
The rider from the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, however, admits to taking “pleasure” in helping his Belgian teammate, the sprinter Jasper Philipsen, “to win as many stages as possible”. “I like it and it takes the pressure off me,” he says.
“Beating Pogacar in the Ronde will be difficult”
This season where he will try to become the only record holder for victories at the Tour of Flanders (4), Van der Poel could prefer Paris-Nice (March 9 to 16) to Tirreno-Adriatico (March 4 to 10). “This year’s course creates a new dynamic. This is why Paris-Nice could be an option instead of Tirreno-Adriatico, which I have raced a few times,” he continues, talking about his preparation for the Flandrian classics.
“Beating Tadej Pogacar in the Ronde promises to be difficult. But I am happy to try to take up this challenge by thinking about how to reduce the gap” which, according to him, separates him from the Slovenian winner of the Flemish monument in 2023.
