Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen team up at Tour de Suisse in preparation for 2026 Tour de France

Alpecin-Premier Tech has announced significant changes to the racing programs of two of its headline riders, Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, as they fine-tune preparations for the Tour de France. The plan reshapes both riders’ usual roadmaps and is clearly aimed at optimising form for the Grande Boucle.

The most eye-catching move is Van der Poel’s participation at the Tour de Suisse, a race he has not contested since 2021. Philipsen, meanwhile, skips his traditional build-up at the Baloise Belgium Tour for an alternative block that includes the Copenhagen Sprint and the Belgian Championships, in addition to a start in Switzerland alongside Van der Poel.

Mathieu van der Poel has opted to return to the Tour de Suisse for the first time since 2021, an edition where he left a clear mark with back-to-back stage wins and two days in the leader’s jersey. That appearance underlined his ability to shine on punchy finishes and more demanding terrain, a blend the Dutchman will look to reproduce this time.

In his last Swiss outing, Van der Poel also lit up stage 5 with a long-range break before abandoning the next day with what the team described as a "mild cold". Despite that early exit, his level beforehand offered a strong signal for the rest of his campaign.

The Dutchman arrives at this edition after a two-month racing break which lasted since the Paris-Roubaix on April 12, making this Swiss block a key step in his specific build-up to the Tour de France.

Jasper Philipsen has also made notable changes to his June schedule. The Belgian sprinter, a regular at the Baloise Belgium Tour as Tour de France preparation, will this time line up at the Tour de Suisse, a debut for him.

Before heading to Switzerland (June 17-21), Philipsen will open at the Copenhagen Sprint on June 14, a sprinters’ showcase, followed by the Belgian National Championships on June 28.

This calendar switch breaks with his usual routine in search of fresh race intensity ahead of the summer’s main goal.

The Tour de France remains the central target for both riders within the team’s project. For Jasper Philipsen, the aim is to add to a tally that already includes nine stage wins at the Tour. The latest came on the opening day of the 2025 edition, when he also put on the yellow jersey for a day, before an early abandon caused by an unfortunate intermediate sprint crash on third stage.

Mathieu van der Poel, for his part, will aim to deepen his impact on the French race, with the chance to chase a third Tour stage win. His victory on stage 2 last year, finishing at Mûr-de-Bretagne, also saw him inherit the yellow jersey from teammate Philipsen.

The 2026 Tour de Suisse is shaping up as one of the most competitive editions in recent years, with a high-calibre start list that underlines the race’s value as Tour de France preparation.

Headline names include Tadej Pogacar with UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Tom Pidcock with the Pinarello Q36.5 setup, Arnaud De Lie at Lotto-Intermarché, and Primoz Roglic flying the colours of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.