"I saw Philip Roodhooft bringing a plate of food to the mechanics": Adrie van der Poel criticises Tour de France logistics
CyclingThursday, 09 July 2026 at 09:00
Adrie van der Poel has criticised the Tour de France organisation over the demanding transfers imposed on teams during the opening week, arguing that the long journeys are placing an unnecessary burden on riders and, in particular, team staff.
No time to rest
While speaking on Belgian television show Vive le Vélo, Adrie van der Poel described exactly how much time the teams wasted on the road.
"It was an hour and a half to get to the start," he said. "After the stage, they then had another three hours on the bus to reach the hotel."
While riders are able to recover once they reach their accommodation, Van der Poel stressed that mechanics and soigneurs often continue working late into the night preparing for the following day's stage.
"In our team, they were working until midnight," he explained. "I saw Philip Roodhooft bringing a plate of food to the mechanics because the kitchen was closing at twelve."
Although he accepts that transfers are unavoidable in a three-week Grand Tour, Van der Poel believes the organisers could do more to limit their impact. "These are things that can really be done better," he said. "An hour and a half to the start and three hours after the finish, that can be improved."
Tom Boonen and Lance Armstrong before the start of a stage
Boonen questions Tour route
The conversation also turned to the design of the race route itself. Former cyclist Tom Boonen explained that he does not like the course because it gives too much of an advantage to the top two riders in the world, which could ruin the fun for everyone else early in the race.
“Do you want to keep it exciting?” Boonen asked. “You have two riders who have dominated in recent years and now you give them every advantage. In the first weeks, the gaps could already become so big that a lot of riders will be demotivated in the second week.”
While acknowledging that the organisers have every right to design the route as they wish, Boonen questioned whether it would produce an entertaining race.
"They make their own decision about how they want to do it," he said. "But this is not a route that creates tension."
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Fewer chances for classic riders
Adrie van der Poel also suggested the route offers relatively few chances for his son Mathieu compared to previous editions of the Tour. He pointed to the 2021 Tour de France, where Mathieu won a stage and wore the yellow jersey, as an example of a route better suited to his characteristics.
"He went to that Tour with pleasure," Van der Poel said. "But he has also ridden two Tours where, from day one, he was asking himself: what am I doing here?"
Even though Mathieu can spend his days helping his teammate Jasper Philipsen try to win the flat sprint stages, Adrie van der Poel still feels that the race is becoming too hard for classic riders.
“Fortunately, there is Jasper, and you can work for him,” he said. “But the stages are becoming very limited for that type of rider.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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