"I’m better off just surviving that little climb" - Danny van Poppel takes classics specialist-sprinter legs to Sanremo, cobbles and Giro d'Italia

Danny van Poppel is getting a new role and trust from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe this season. The Dutch national champion is set to be a lead sprinter in several races including the Giro d'Italia, whilst also having a focus on Milano-Sanremo and the cobbled classics. His racing schedule begins already this Tuesday at the Tour Down Under.

He has revealed what his schedule will be looking like: “The Opening Weekend, Tirreno [Adriatico], [Milano] Sanremo, possibly some Flemish races and then I work towards the Giro. There I will go as a leader and that’s how Zak Dempster sees me too, as a sprinter with a team around me," van Poppel told IDLProCycling. "I’m really looking forward to it: we’re just going for it and then we’ll see. Maybe it hits once or multiple times, maybe not at all. You never know.”

Over the past few years, van Poppel has ridden a lot as leadout man for Jordi Meeus, but the results over the past two seasons simply have not landed, whilst the Dutchman himself often began to show up as a stronger option. Climbing wise and in the one-day races, van Poppel has taken on his best-ever level, whilst at the Dutch national championships he used his sprinting power to beat Olav Kooij and Dylan Groenewegen

He believes that he has an ideal mix of both specialties at the time being, and does not intend on to change it. “That is indeed my strength, to be able to drop someone like Merlier or Kooij. I’ve been thinking about fully focusing on sprinting, but I think I’m better off just surviving that little climb. That’s what we’ll have to rely on anyway.”

After racing the Tour de France and being a stage winner at the returning Tour of Holland, the 32-year old has already acomplished a lot in his Dutch national champion's jersey. This provides him further motivation to perform: “I already have the most beautiful victory. In the Tour of Holland, with number 1 in that champion’s jersey. That was great for me and I still can’t believe I did that. I had ruled out winning, and now I won that race at home in the red-white-blue in a beautiful way. It couldn’t be better.”

“I also want to enjoy that champion’s jersey and, for example, show it in the Amstel Gold Race. It’s like I’m world champion. That may sound strange, but I just never expected it anymore. I hadn’t competed for five years because I was done with it. And then I race again and beat Kooij and Groenewegen, simple as that. Amazing.”

This next week he is taking part in the Tour Down Under, where he will be a key part of the team block and chase stage wins in the sprints, with Matthew Brennan and Sam Welsford as his main rivals. “It’s starting again, eh. I finished very late and now I’m back into it nicely. I’m not really in shape yet, but that can come quickly. Originally Jordi Meeus was supposed to go, but there are some finishes with just a small climb. And I can nicely get used to the train," he says.

Although he wasn't initially set to race it, the long trip to the Australian summer, away from Europe's current cold weather, proved to be an attractive proposition. “It’s also a kind of training camp. You’re in the heat, get good massages, good food: many forget that. Many guys now feel that they have to be at altitude to be able to race in the spring. I don’t see it like that at all: it’s actually a good block and a beautiful trip. I’m not so into training camps, so Down Under is a nice option," he concluded.