"I was surprised when I was told that I could go to the Tour" admits Jordi Meeus after being selected ahead of Sam Bennett
Cycling
Jordi Meeus is set for his second career Grand Tour at the 2023 Tour de France after BORA - hansgrohe confirmed their eight-man lineup with the 24-year-old Belgian selected as sprinter.
"I was surprised when I was told that I could go to the Tour," admits Meeus in conversation with Wielerflits. BORA's widely regarded premier sprinter was the Irishman, Sam Bennett. After Bennett was left out though, Meeus gets his chance and after showing some impressive form so far in 2023, the possibility is there for a stage victory.
“I knew I was in the pre-selection, but a number of people within the team told me that a team was being built around Bennett,” Meeus continues. “So I was surprised when I got the phone call, but I didn't really fall out of the blue either. I am of course very happy with it. I know there will probably be a sprint in stages three, four and seven. I think there is a total of five, six or seven sprint chances. That is beautiful. The goal, of course, is to win one of them. But if I can't win one, my Tour is not necessarily a success."
Although just the one win so far this season, coming at Circuit de Charleroi Wallonie, Meeus has finished on the podium at the Brussels Cycling Classic, Heistse Pijl and two stages of the Tour of Norway. At the Tour de France Meeus will be teamed with Danny van Poppel. “We sent each other some messages after the selection was announced and we also called once afterwards. I get on well with him and we often train together on internships. That is certainly good.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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🎧 PODCAST #27: TOUR DE FRANCE 🎧 It's only a few days before @LeTour kicks off! ✨🇫🇷 For @jordimeeus, it will be his first Tour, and we had a chat with him about what to expect, his goals, and how he wants to grab a first win! 👉 open.spotify.com/episode/5i4ocP… #TDF2023 #letour
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