Van der Poel Hasn’t Always Delivered on His Talent at the Tour. That Changed Sunday.

Given the manner and quantity of his 61 victories, particularly his eight monuments and his 2023 world championships win, Mathieu van der Poel has never had anything like the same level of success in the Tour de France.

Prior to Sunday he had taken just two stages out of six Tour participations. That contrasts with arch-rival Wout van Aert, a rider Van der Poel has repeatedly defeated in classics and cyclocross races, but who has 10 Tour stages to his credit.

Van der Poel gave a fitting reminder of his class on Sunday, being part of a huge break which went away 97km from the finish in Ussel, then whittled that break right down with a number of searing accelerations.

He reached the line with just three riders for company and while they parked themselves on his rear wheel, forcing him to lead out the sprint, he blew them away.

Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) and Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) finished in his wake.

It was a win he will savor, both for itself and also for a historic parallel. His grandfather Raymond Poulidor won the first of is seven Tour stages 64 years ago to the day.

“The most difficult part is to be in in the breakaway in days like these,” Van der Poel said.

“Actually the first hour of the race I didn’t feel so great, but then the legs became better and better. Then when I finally was in the break, I became more confident because I felt I had a good day. The heat was not affecting me that much today.

“But still it was a very difficult day because the gap was never big to the bunch.”

‘Love-hate relationship’

Van der Poel is from one of the most famous families in cycling. His maternal grandfather was Raymond Poulidor, one of the best and most beloved riders of all time. His father is Adrie van der Poel, winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Tour of Flanders, the Amstel Gold Race and Paris-Tours, as well as two stages in the Tour de France.

Van der Poel senior also was, like his son, world champion in cyclocross.

He’s now 67 years of age but still involved in the sport, working with the Alpecin-Premier Tech team.

He’s one of those overseeing the riders at the race, his son included, and often watches him sacrificing his own chances on flatter stages for a teammate.

Van der Poel Junior would almost certainly have won more stages had he been less immersed in the leadout duties which helped secure Jasper Philipsen’s 10 stage wins thus far, as well as his 2023 green jersey.

He also would likely win more if he made the race the cornerstone of his season or, at least, if he prioritized it as much as he does the Classics.

However his relationship with the event is a complicated one.

“I have a love-hate relationship with the Tour,” he admitted to Dutch journalists before the Grand Départ.

Still, it’s improving over time.

“The older I get, the more I enjoy going to the Tour. So I certainly don’t leave home reluctantly.”

His father Adrie van der Poel spoke to Cyclism’Actu at the finish on Saturday and explained the particular complications of the race.

“He wins,” he said. “But, for example, there was one Tour where there wasn’t a single stage that suited him. And then, I understand, he asks himself questions. ‘What am I doing here?’

“It’s good to work for Jasper, but for the rest, for today, he’s just doing his own thing.”

An additional complication at this year’s Tour

Taking a Tour stage victory on Sunday is crucially important to both Van der Poel and also his team. Alpecin-Premier Tech has had considerable success in the race in recent years, thanks largely to Philipsen. At times repeated stage wins seemed almost a given.

However, until Sunday, things simply weren’t going to plan. Philipsen is not yet firing on all cylinders and had best stage places of fourth, fifth and fifth in the past week.

The pressure was on; now it’s greatly reduced.

“You just need to be patient and keep doing everything right, and then hope it will turn our way,” he said, explaining how the team reacted to frustration over the past week.

“And it did today. Hopefully we can win another stage with Jasper as well in the coming weeks.”

What helped Sunday was his own improving sensations. Struggling in the opening stages, he suggested that the relentless heat at the race had been taking a toll on him.

“I was really struggling and also had some difficulty to recover, even from the easier days,” he said.

His father made the same point, that those climatic conditions take the edge off his talent.

“I was absolutely certain he was doing very well. But he already saw at the beginning that the stages are way too hard, especially when there are 7km climbs,” he explained.

“If he’s really at his best and it’s cooler, he can do it. But he’s just who he is; he’s not riding for 15th place. He’s been like that ever since [he started in the sport]. If he has a chance to win, he gives it his all, but if he can’t, he leaves it alone.”

Fortunately Van der Poel said he felt better in recent days, perhaps reflecting a readjustment to the high temperatures. And that in turn helped him achieve what he achieved Sunday.

Further chances on the horizon?

The Tour now has its first rest day on Monday. He and the rest of the Alpecin-Premier Tech team will use that time to recharge, to ready themselves for the two remaining weeks.

There are many mountainous stages and one time trial, but so too a few opportunities.

Wednesday’s stage 11 to Nevers looks set up for a bunch sprint and there he will hope Philipsen can deliver.

Stage 12 is another which could end in a big gallop, while stage 17 between Chambéry and Voiron looks ideal for a breakaway.

Don’t be surprised if Van der Poel tries again there.

He’s had his taster of success, the pressure is off him personally, and he’ll grab whatever opportunity he can.

Making the most of form and momentum is important to him, particularly as he missed out on a monument win this year.

“It’s only my third victory, so it shows how hard it is for me to win a stage in the Tour,” he said Sunday. “So it will always be special to win one.

“I think it just sometimes it looks really easy because the past seasons we always succeeded in winning a monument or winning sprints in the Tour.

“But we know that it will not always come that easy, of course.

“So that’s also why we just keep working and keep believing in it, and we do our best. That’s all we can do.”