“These things happen” – Adrie van der Poel analyses Jasper Philipsen’s Tour de France crash

As Alpecin-Deceuninck regroups after Jasper Philipsen’s race ending crash on stage 3 of the Tour de France, Adrie van der Poel offered an empathetic perspective in an interview with Cyclism’Actu, acknowledging the team’s disappointment while emphasising the unpredictable nature of the sport.

Philipsen, who had been one of the stars of the opening weekend with a stage win and time in yellow, was forced to abandon after a crash during the intermediate sprint left him with a broken collarbone and rib. He has since undergone surgery, and the team confirmed he’s on the road to recovery.

“I know he's in the hospital, that's all. No, there's no anger, it's simply a work accident, there's nothing we can do,” said Van der Poel. “The main problem is Jasper, how he's going to get through it, that's the most important thing.”

Despite a strong start to the race, the team was dealt a harsh reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift. “It's racing: sometimes it's good luck and sometimes it's bad luck. These things happen, unfortunately,” he said.

Van der Poel, who followed up Philipsen’s win with a victory of his own on stage 2, now carries more of the team’s ambitions heading into stage 4. But Adrie van der Poel suggested that his son’s focus may still be with his injured teammate.

“I think that right now, Mathieu van der Poel is thinking more about Jasper than his yellow jersey. After two great days, there's a bit of sadness now,” he explained.

What was expected to be a relatively calm third stage instead turned into one of the most chaotic days of the Tour so far, leading to a shift in morale across the peloton. “It was the easiest stage normally, after the two days,” Van der Poel said, adding that “there are a lot of teams who don't want to anymore ride.”