Mathieu van der Poel eyeing yellow jersey in Tour de France cobblestones: 20 seconds in a Roubaix stage is not much

Mathieu van der Poel has until today ridden a calm and collected Tour de France, however as the riders head deeper into the second week, the situation will change and the classics riders will come to the front.

"You're out of your rhythm right away, but it's not that I'm sad about it. We'll suffer enough," van der Poel said after two days where he's calmly ridden in the back of the peloton. In the first rest day of the race he talked to Sporza, and has talked about his first big goal of the race: "I hope the day after tomorrow in the Roubaix stage. A lot is possible in that. With the exception of the prologue, it was in Denmark for Jasper Philipsen. That was agreed."

After finishing a strong fifth place in Copenhagen, the Dutchman is in sight of the yellow jersey and will have two opportunities to grab it on stages five and six. Suited to the classics riders, both northern and Ardennes, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will take the spot as team leader in those days, where he'll attempt to replicate last year's results.

"...Whether I have set my sights on the cobblestone ride? That is saying a lot, but it has to suit me and I can take my chance there," he added. "There is still a lot possible for yellow. Everyone within a minute certainly has a chance. I try to go for rides anyway, but 20" in a Roubaix stage is not much."