The excessive mountains might not be his pure terrain, however however, Mathieu van der Poel accomplished one last day within the breakaway on the Critérium du Dauphiné because the race concluded atop the Plateau du Mont-Cenis.
Solely three weeks have handed because the Dutchman crashed twice and fractured his proper wrist within the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup spherical in Nové Mesto, and right here he’s, totally ready to tackle the Tour de France subsequent month.
Van der Poel was again on his indoor coach three days after sustaining the fracture, whereas he headed to the Dauphiné with simply two weeks of restoration time underneath his belt.
Eight days of racing later, he has 5 top-10 finishes to his title, together with two stage podiums, and he missed out on the inexperienced factors jersey by the narrowest of margins, ending the race degree on factors with total champion and triple stage winner Tadej Pogačar.
Talking after the conclusion of stage 8, which noticed Van der Poel assault a number of instances to make the break after which race solo on the entrance for 40km earlier than he was reeled in, he mentioned he was very happy along with his week’s work.
“I am really very pleased with the week. After all, it could’ve been good to win a stage and the inexperienced jersey, however I feel total I will be very pleased with how I’ve handed the week,” Van der Poel advised CyclingPro.
“It was a really onerous week, and it was precisely what I wanted for the Tour, so I am happy.”
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Van der Poel will head up Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Tour de France group alongside star sprinter and nine-time Tour stage winner Jasper Philipsen. He’ll work within the lead-out for his teammate as soon as once more, whereas additionally searching for out possibilities at glory himself.
He was assured in each his and his group’s skills to realize the outcomes they search subsequent month, whereas additionally sounding a be aware of warning.
“Let’s hope so, however in fact, the Tour is one thing else. It is going to be a chaotic first week, so hopefully we are able to handle to win a stage already,” Van der Poel mentioned, earlier than asserting {that a} difficult week of racing on the Dauphiné is strictly what he wanted to be prepared for the Tour.
“For certain, the hardness, however that is not an issue anymore, I feel. I am going to want a number of days to get well, after which I can nonetheless prepare onerous in direction of the Tour de France,” he mentioned.
“I feel I would like a race like this, a stage race the place I am on the restrict day by day. I feel it’s going to assist me to get my finest form.”
