"Today’s the last chance" - Mathieu van der Poel vows to go all out for Dauphine stage 5 win

Mathieu van der Poel has been consistently impressive over the first four stages of the 2025 Criterium du Dauphiné. Although he leads the points classification however, the Dutchman is yet to be rewarded for his efforts with a stage win.

With an intriguing stage 5 parcours that allows for a tussle between breakaway and sprinters, Van der Poel could be one of the best suited riders to take the win. “This is a stage with opportunities, even if the climbs aren’t all that tough," he previews from the startline to Sporza. "But the run-in to the finish is still quite long.”

Given the delicate balance between breakaway and sprinters though, which tactic will Van der Poel opt for? "We’ll have to wait and see," says MVDP, keeping his cards close to his chest. “If we can control things, we’ll try to bring it down to a sprint. But going to the line with Jonathan Milan isn’t really an option either. He’s by far the fastest – it’ll be difficult to drop him."

The truth is though, that whether he wins a stage or not, Van der Poel will be able to reflect happily on a strong performance on his Dauphine debut, especially considering the nasty mountain bike crash he suffered in the weeks prior.

"My wrist is still a bit sensitive, but not painful. It just needs time, really," concludes the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader. "This week’s gone better than I expected. I’m happy with how the past few days have gone and pleased with where I am. Today’s the last chance – after this, it’s over to the climbers."