Alaphilippe keeps secrets opening Tour stage to himself, Steels reveals a bit more: "You're constantly losing energy"

Stage victories, that's what Soudal Quick-Step and Fabio Jakobsen are aiming for as they start the Tour de France on Saturday. On Wednesday evening, the team led by Patrick Lefevere held their standard press briefing in Bilbao, and IDLProCycling.com had the privilege of taking a (virtual) seat in the room.

The team leaders of Soudal Quick-Step, however, didn't seem to be in high spirits for the press conference, just a few short days before the Tour and after likely having had a travel day. It was occasionally challenging to extract words from Jakobsen and Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman is returning to the Tour de France after having missed the race in 2022 due to injury.

"I'm really looking forward to starting the Tour, of course. I don't think about last year anymore, but I'm just happy to be back," stated Alaphilippe. "I want to enjoy the race. There's a certain atmosphere that can only be found in the Tour."

Alaphilippe has already gotten to wear the yellow jersey several times and seems to have a new chance at it in Bilbao on Saturday. "We have done recon for the first stage, which was my second time there, after going once before during the high-altitude training camp. I know the route well and I am focused on my performance, but of course I will need to have a good day as well. As for the secrets of this first stage, I'll keep those to myself," the Frenchman said with a grin.

Team director Tom Steels was also present during the reconnaissance and added, "It will be a tough day, all day long, so you're constantly losing energy. The pressure will be on fairly early into the race, with the general classification teams wanting to be in front due to the nervousness of this being the first stage of the Tour." Steels, drawing on his experience, also commented on the chances of the two crowd favorites, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. "Can they handle it? It could be a close call."

Jakobsen had a similar preparation as in 2022

Jakobsen was also brief in his replies, starting off with a question about the challenging nature of this year's Tour and its implications for him as a sprinter. "I prepared in the same way as last year. The Tour is not easy, that's why it's the Tour. Last year, I won a stage, and I want to do that again. The mountains are indeed tough, but it was the same last year. I just want to finish within the time limit."

After the opening weekend, there are several stages that could go either way: a sprint with the full peloton or not. It's not hard to guess which option Jakobsen prefers. "We hope to sprint on day three or four, but it depends on the teams and what happens," stated the Dutch rider, who reiterated that the green jersey is not on his mind. "The green jersey is not a major goal for me. I want to win one or multiple stages. Other riders are better suited to win the points classification."