"Tour is also a preparation race for Glasgow" for Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert according to De Tribune podcast
Cycling
Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel on the start is always a guarantee of a spectacle. The two will clash again at this year's Tour de France, however in slightly different roles. The Belgian will be bound by team duties, while Van der Poel will have a free hand.
"It's swearing in the church, but actually this Tour is also a preparation race for Glasgow," says Renaat Schotte in De Tribune's Tour special. "I don't even see Van Aert getting to Paris. You are dealing with the private situation of his pregnant wife. He has already announced that he will leave the Tour at birth. That says something about the state in which he is entering the Tour."
"I don't see Van Aert being a domestique for Vingegaard like last year," thinhs José De Cauwer.
Christophe Vandegoor confirms: "He will not want to squeeze himself again with a view of the World Championships."
"Wout still has unfinished business with the World Championships, but Mathieu's motivation is even bigger after everything that happened in Wollongong," thinks Schotte.
"At Alpecin they don't want to make the same mistakes as last year at Tour," says Vandegoor. "On the one hand by not bringing 2 sprinters again, but on the other hand by getting Van der Poel fresher at the start. Last year he had Giro in his legs and he had already raced too much before the start of the Tour. That is not the case now. He will choose a few targets in the Tour."
"I don't expect any crazy things from Mathieu in the Tour. The time when he just threw his powers is over. He will now ride to score," De Cauwer concludes.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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