"I start here with ambition" - Mathieu van der Poel looking for wins as Belgium Tour whilst Jasper Philipsen hunts sprints

The Baloise Belgium Tour starts today and it features many of the sprinters and classics riders which will star at the upcoming Tour de France. Mathieu van der Poel is among them and he's looking to succeed and show good form on his week of return to competition.

"Of course I start here with ambition. Together with Jasper Philipsen, who is also doing well and should also be able to go for the general classification, I think," van der Poel said at the start of the day. He will be one of the favourites for the overall classification, which should be decided on stages 3 and 4 where he riders tackle a medium-sized time-trial and an explosive hilly day.

Away from the mountains of the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse, the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo has decided to place it's chips in Belgium, where they find better suited terrain. Jasper Philipsen, who's had a tremendous spring, is looking to test his Tour leadout here and hoping that all the pieces of the puzzle will fit together.

"This week I especially want to get our sprint train for the Tour de France back on track," he tells. "I think there are three flat stages: Scherpenheuvel, Knokke and Brussels. Those are three rides that should suit me and that I want to go full for. The final stage to Brussels with arrival under the Atomium has a high Champs-Elysées content. If I had to choose one, I would like to win that stage."