Despite his brilliance across multiple disciplines, Mathieu van der Poel has yet to fully showcase his potential at the Tour de France. While his 2021 performance, which included a stage win and six days in the yellow jersey, was impressive, his Tour record since then has been relatively underwhelming. Over the past two editions, he has primarily served as a super-domestique and lead-out rider for teammate Jasper Philipsen, contributing to Alpecin-Deceuninck’s success.
Speculation arose that Van der Poel might skip the 2025 Tour de France after he admitted it wasn’t his favorite race. However, his recently announced 2025 racing calendar put those rumors to rest.
Alpecin-Deceuninck team boss Philip Roodhooft dismissed the idea of Van der Poel sitting out cycling’s biggest race. “Whose favorite race is the Tour?” he joked to ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’, acknowledging the race’s unique prestige. “A stage win at the Tour has more impact than in Italy or Spain.”
Roodhooft also stressed the importance of Van der Poel’s participation for the race itself, noting that the Tour organizer, ASO, benefits from having star riders competing. “Several stages suit his profile perfectly,” he said, encouraging Van der Poel to embrace the challenge.
Despite Van der Poel’s lukewarm feelings toward the Tour, Roodhooft believes his team leader understands the significance of competing. “Does he need a lot of convincing? No,” Roodhooft stated. “Mathieu knows it’s the right choice, and it won’t compromise his autumn goal of winning the MTB World Championships.”
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