Mathieu van der Poel updates his pre-Tour de France racing programme

Mathieu van der Poel will not ride the Tour de Suisse in June in the run-up to the Tour de France. The Dutchman from Alpecin-Deceuninck has changed plans and will instead race in Belgium, while his start at National Championships is a possibility too.

Van der Poel is at the start of an altitude training course in La Plagne, France. "For the next three weeks we will be preparing for the Tour de France in La Plagne. Then it is always good to add a few races afterwards to gain some competition rhythm," says van der Poel in a press release.

The Dutch all-rounder will re-gain his race rhythm in Belgium. “I am delighted to be able to do that again in my own country. Both Dwars door het Hageland and the Baloise Belgium Tour are races that appeal to me. With my background in cyclo-cross, I must be able to play a significant role in Dwars door het Hageland."

"In the Baloise Belgium Tour I'll meet with a number of guys from our Tour selection, including Jasper Philipsen. We will see what we can do for each other," concludes van der Poel.