Mathieu van der Poel has made his Tour de France debut last summer where he had a tremendously successful start to the race, winning a stage and putting on the yellow jersey on the Mur de Bretagne. In 2022 he returns, with similar ambitions alongside Alpecin-Fenix.
“No, I’m not going to get involved in the battle for the green jersey. It takes away a lot of freedom, while I want to fully focus on stage wins. Maybe this is something for teammate Jasper Philipsen," he told RIDE magazine. Although finishing first and second in the opening days of the Giro d'Italia, he didn't attempt to fight for the maglia ciclamino. Hence, with a sprinter in the team and a system more favourable to pure sprinters, it was no surprise to see the Dutchman neglect his chances of fighting for green.
That focus will instead be on Jasper Philipsen, six times podium last year and undisputed sprinter according to the rumours that Tim Merlier will miss the race. “I don’t know if it will be a goal for Jasper. But it is something he must be able to handle. He crosses the cols quickly enough to occasionally grab some extra points in the intermediate sprints in a difficult stage. But I’m definitely not going to try it this year.”
Van der Poel will then focus on stage wins. There will be a few stages that have hilltop finishes aswell as stage five into Arenberg which will feature several cobbled sectors. The yellow jersey is also very much a possibility for the Dutchman, who is likely to be one of the headliners of the opening week.
He also shares that with the likes of Wout van Aert contesting for the jersey, the competition will be harder than ever. “It is no secret that Wout has a lot of resilience. And I don’t deny that three weeks of fighting for that green jersey is a heavy mental load. It also takes away some of the freedom."
"I will therefore not interfere in that battle in this Tour, but I want to fully focus on stage victories. Don’t forget that Wout already has a few Grand Tours in his legs. I think he can handle that combination more easily," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
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- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
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