Whilst, as mentioned, Van der Poel's Tour de France record isn't quite as sparkling as someone of his talent perhaps warrants, that's not to say the
Alpecin-Deceuninck leader hasn't had his moments.
“He rode his first Tour that year and spent six dazzling days in yellow," recalls Prudhomme fondly. "Everything surrounding it — especially the emotional link to his late grandfather, French cycling legend
Raymond Poulidor, who passed away in 2019 — made that one of the most moving moments of my time as Tour director.”
And now, Prudhomme believes the time is right for Van der Poel to really sparkle at the Tour de France. “Listen... Mathieu has the ability to make a race exciting all on his own — and in this case, to light up the entire first week of the Tour," he previews in conclusion. "I don’t think I’m taking much of a gamble by saying my gut tells me we’ll see him standing on the top step of the podium after one of those early stages.”