"I hated riding the Tour as a GC rider" - Former Top-5 finish speaks of the ordeal of doing three weeks all out

The Tour de France is one of the most daring sport challenges on the planet. And if just the three weeks of racing and over 3.000 kilometers in the saddle isn't enough to put you off, there are a few of those who dare to attempt to complete this tedious task at the fastest time possible - GC riders. Michael Boogerd used to be one of them; hunting for marginal gains, gritting teeth to spin the pedals just one more time, and all that while trying to ride up some of the most feared mountain passes in Europe.

"I hated riding the Tour, and especially as a GC rider, it's just really tough. And many others agree with me," Boogerd told Wieler Revue. The 53-year-old Dutchman in any case cannot dispute that he's been great at it. In 1998, he finished the race in fifth place overall.

The claim that riding for general classification is not for everyone Boogerd supports with an example of his fellow compatriot and 2017 Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin who left cycling in 2022, completely disillusioned.

"Tom Dumoulin is perhaps the best example. Three weeks at the peak of your performance takes everything out of you. Both mentally and physically. For me, that was very difficult."

Still, Boogerd would not change anything about his career and to this day, he cherishes this result next to his two stage wins and Amstel Gold Race title in his palmares. But he would not want to ride the general classification ever again.

"I definitely consider that a highlight of my career. But even then, I was completely ruined in the last three days of the Tour. If there had been a mountain stage in the final weekend, I would have finished tenth. I found it very difficult to be good for three weeks."

Since the retirement of Dumoulin, the Dutch cycling fans didn't have many compatriots to look up to with regards to GC. But Thymen Arensman could change the narrative, although Boogerd would rather see the 25-year-old in another jersey. "I'm curious to see how he'll handle that in the future. The potential is there."