The time has come and later today, the 2024 Tour de France gets underway in Florence. Starting with a stage full of potential for immediate drama, one man taking to the Grand Depart full of optimism is Lotto Dstny's Maxim van Gils.
On his Tour de France debut in 2023, van Gils came close to a stage win, finishing second on stage 13 atop the mythical slopes of Grand Colombier. “I came second, but there is a big difference between winning or coming second in the Tour," the 24-year-old Belgian assesses in conversation with Wielerflits. "There are not many riders who can win in the Tour, so I want to go for it. With the whole team, by the way. The goal is to win, and whether that is with myself or another rider, it is always very nice.”
As mentioned, the drama immediately comes straight away on the opening weekend, with van Gils targeting an early Maillot Jaune. “I like the first two stages the best of the entire race," he admits. "It reminds me a bit of the Ardennes. The climbs are not too long, nor too steep. That's something I like. Everything is possible. It's just a pity that the finish of the second stage after the San Lucca climb runs downwards. I prefer it to be slightly uphill or flatter.”
"I think my form is good, I had a pretty good Tour de Suisse. I did a few good training sessions after that, but no Belgian Championship. I don't know if I really had a cold, but it would have been better to skip that race, otherwise I might have gotten even more tired and sick. I feel good in training and I was able to do everything I wanted," continues van Gils. "In retrospect, I had a good chance of winning in La Fleche Wallonne, I had good legs in the final. Maybe I still have to get a bit stronger to win that big race. Hopefully I can do that in the Tour de France.”
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