Van der Poel expects no role distribution issues with Philipsen in Tour de France: "Fairly distribute opportunities"

This June 15th will go down in cycling history in several ways. On the one hand, it's the day when three Dutch cyclists managed to triumph: Fabio Jakobsen, Dylan Groenewegen and Marijn van den Berg all won their respective races in Belgium, Slovenia and France. However, June 15th will also be known as the day with multiple crashes everywhere. Prior to the opening stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour, several media outlets sought the opinion of Mathieu van der Poel, who coincidentally talked about race safety right before this 'day of crashes'.

Van der Poel traveled to the Belgian stage race because he believed his chances of winning there were higher than in a race such as the Tour de Suisse, as he said in an online press conference in early June, where IDLProCycling.com was also present. In the first two stages of the Baloise Belgium Tour, it became clear that 'Matje' (which is Van der Poel's nickname) was onto something here, as he immediately animated the opening stage and sprinted to a second-place finish in the second stage. "I have already ridden many uphill sections, so I prefer to come to Belgium to race for victory," the superstar said in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, a well-known pilgrimage site.

According to Van der Poel, it is difficult to organize a course in safe conditions

Jasper Philipsen, teammate and friend of 'MVDP' (Mathieu van der Poel), claimed victory in the opening stage after seriously hard work from the Dutch cyclist. In the second stage, the 'Flame from Ham' (Philipsen's nickname) crashed, and Van der Poel had to take care of the sprint. He succeeded quite brilliantly, impressively finishing in second place, behind sprint canon Jakobsen.

In the Tour de France, several stages seem to suit both Philipsen and Van der Poel. The latter stated before the race in Belgium that he wasn't concerned about the division of roles. "We are already in sync. There is mutual trust between Jasper and me. We communicate well enough to gauge who feels the best on any given day. Jasper has also expressed his intention to compete for the green jersey. I'm happy to support him in that. We get along well. We will share the opportunities that come our way fairly," he expressed amicably.

Van der Poel also didn't hide his views on race safety from the press. In the Baloise Belgium Tour, abundant cushioning pads, protective poles and fences were placed along the route. According to the cycling star, it's a good idea in itself, but the danger ultimately lies with the riders themselves. "It's very difficult to organize a race under safe conditions. After all, we are still riding on public roads. It's good that they're considering safety measures, but the race remains hectic. Everyone wants to be well-positioned, and that's simply not possible."

Youri van den Berg (Twitter: @YourivndnBerg)