Alpecin–Premier Tech have unveiled notable changes to the June schedules of teammates Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen as they fine-tune their preparations for the 2026 Tour de France.
The team confirmed on Friday that both riders will compete in the Tour de Suisse. For Philipsen, the move marks a significant shift from his traditional build-up, as he opts against the Baloise Tour of Belgium and instead makes his debut appearance in Switzerland’s premier stage race.
Before heading to Switzerland, the 28-year-old sprinter will race the Copenhagen Sprint on June 14 and then contest the national championships on June 28.
Van der Poel’s June programmes have varied over the years, but his most recent appearance at the Tour de Suisse came in 2021. During that race, he claimed consecutive stage victories, wore the leader’s jersey for two days, and later featured in a lengthy breakaway on stage five before withdrawing with a mild illness. He went on to enjoy an outstanding Tour de France, winning stage two with a solo attack on the famous Mûr-de-Bretagne.
Neither Philipsen nor Van der Poel has raced since the Paris–Roubaix on April 12. At this year’s Tour de France, Philipsen will be aiming to add to his tally of nine stage victories. His most recent success came on the opening stage of the 2025 race, when he also claimed the yellow jersey, while hoping to put behind him the memories of the stage-three crash that ended his campaign.
Van der Poel, meanwhile, will target a third career Tour de France stage win after capturing stage two last year and taking over the race lead from Philipsen in the process.
The 2026 Tour de Suisse is shaping up to be one of the strongest editions in recent memory, featuring an impressive line-up that includes Tadej Pogačar, Tom Pidcock, Arnaud De Lie and Primož Roglič.
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