Mathieu van der Poel eyes unknown territory in Giro d'Italia final week: "I don't really know what to expect from it"

Mathieu van der Poel has been an ever-present figure at this year's Giro d'Italia, and today has been no exception as the Dutchman fought hard to be in the day's breakaway, and spent some kilometers in the lead of the race before fading in the long Alpine ascents.

He's said in a post-race interview what his tactics were for the day: “I wanted to be part of the leading group to get over the mountains more easily and to be able to ride up a little easier in the final phase. All in all, it was still a tough day," he addmited.

Being far from a climber, he still rode strongly as he rode off the breakaway in the opening climb of the day to Pila, and together with Koen Bouwman and Martijn Tusveld, lead the race throughout the descent and the opening kilometers of the second ascent to Verrogne. Eventually he was caught by a group that included eventual stage winner Giulio Ciccone, and dropped back - eventually finishing 19:58 minutes down on the Italian.

Despite the lack of opportunities, he's heading into the final week of the race in a bid to test himself. "I'm happy with the feeling I still have. Am I looking forward to the final week? I don't really know what to expect from it. It's a whole new experience for me. I hope I have a few more good days. I don't see many opportunities for victories for myself, but as a rider I hope to come out of this Giro better by finishing that final week," he concluded.