“It's a tough stage” – Will we see more van der Poel fireworks on stage 6?

Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2025 offers another potential shot at glory for Mathieu van der Poel. After surrendering the yellow jersey to Tadej Pogacar in Wednesday’s time trial, the Dutchman is now back on the hunt for stage wins, something he’s already proven he can deliver at this year’s race.

"It's a very difficult stage," Van der Poel told the reporters before the start. "Half the peloton probably wants to be in the early breakaway, so it's going to be a big battle. Do I want to be in the breakaway myself? If it's a big group, I'll try to be there. But everyone knows it's very difficult to get into the right breakaway in the Tour."

Van der Poel knows how quickly the dynamic can shift. He finally ended a four-year drought without a Tour stage win on stage 2, and came close again on stage 4. The crash and abandonment of teammate Jasper Philipsen on stage 3 has given him complete freedom to chase his own opportunities, something rare for a rider so often expected to serve dual roles.

"If the GC contenders really go for it, it's very difficult to be in the mix," he said. "The level is incredibly high."

Van der Poel also acknowledged the tactical uncertainty around the yellow jersey. With Pogacar now in the lead and focused on the long game, he may not be interested in defending the jersey day after day, especially not on a hilly transitional stage like today. That opens the door for opportunists.

“If Tadej wants to keep the yellow jersey, it'll be difficult too. But I assume he doesn't necessarily need to,” Van der Poel said. “I think Vauquelin, for example, is in a better position. He's also riding incredibly well. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on. He'll probably have to come from the early breakaway to take the yellow jersey, too."

The GC standings remain in flux after the time trial reshuffled the deck. While Pogacar now leads, Kevin Vauquelin sits just behind and could play a key role in today's action, particularly if a breakaway forms with serious time-gaining potential.

For Van der Poel, the goal is clear: get in the move early, and make it count. But as he acknowledged, nothing comes easy at the Tour, especially for a rider marked by rivals and viewed as one of the biggest threats in any rolling or punchy stage. "It'll be a close call anyway. It's a tough stage."