"He gave a lot to get the breakaway going" - Alpecin DS explains why Mathieu van der Poel was unable to fight for stage win
Cycling
After a flying start to stage six, a strong group eventually steered clear from the peloton. Including sixth overall Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman's goal was clear: to regain the yellow jersey he lost a day earlier. And while that goal was eventually completed, stage win was three minutes further up the road in the hands of phenomenal Ben Healy.
"It would have been a shame if it hadn't worked out, but you can't control what the peloton does," Alpecin-Deceuninck sports director Christopher Roodhooft told WielerFlits after the race.
Although the gap to peloton seemed sufficient enough at first, the advantage started to melt very rapidly on the final climbs. "It's not that we weren't aware of it," said Roodhooft, "but the final kilometer was still very tough. It was also a very challenging course for him. It makes a huge difference whether you weigh 60 or 80 kilograms."
Van der Poel was not fully of energy anymore on the walls in the stage finale: "He also gave a lot to create and get the breakaway going. We also thought it (referring to the yellow jersey, ed.) was secured, but the peloton really got going. We have no influence on that."
Can the Dutchman hold onto his one second of advantage in Bretagne and the upcoming stages? "Everything will depend on his recovery, even more so than the route of the coming days. That's certainly achievable, but first we'll see if he can recover sufficiently," Roodhooft concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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