"It could easily happen that suddenly fifteen riders ride away" - Belgian coach explains where he sees Jasper Stuyven's value for the Olympic team

The 111th Tour de France is slowly reaching it's final instalment but many riders already have their eyes set on what's yet to come after the Grande Boucle. Yes, we're talking about the Olympic Games with time trial taking place only a week after the time trial in Nice with road race scheduled for the Sunday after that.

Belgium will have undoubted leaders in Remco Evenepoel (3rd overall at the Tour) and Wout Van Aert. However it must be understood that even their "helpers" Jasper Stuyven and Tiesj Benoot are not without chances for a result depending on how the race evolves.

Stuyven didn't have a perfect spring, but racing Giro d'Italia and Tour de France allowed him to return to the hoped form with Paris in sight. The Lidl-Trek rider puts so much value in the Olympic race that he even received a permission from his team to leave the French Grand tour earlier - if needed, national coach Sven Vanthourenhout reveals.

"The Games are also very important to Jasper. Before the Tour he called me to say that he could leave the team as soon as it was enough for him. But now it is the case that if he stays healthy, he will finish the Tour. And that is a very good sign," the selector said in an interview in Het Nieuwsblad.

"I really think he will be a very important link in Paris. Because it will be a special race, right?" Vanthourenhout can very well imagine a scenario where Stuyven could be Belgium's back-up plan. "It could easily happen that suddenly fifteen riders ride away without Van Aert, Evenepoel, Pogacar and Van der Poel, but with men like Bettiol, Politt and Laporte. If you then have Stuyven with you - also someone who can go very far and finish a race - you are doing very well."