"Watching him race is simply a thrill" - Mathieu van der Poel backed by Tour de France boss to add to Grand Tour stage wins in 2025

For someone with the kind of talent that Mathieu van der Poel boasts, just the one Tour de France stage win on his palmares is a relatively meagre return. With a very Van der Poel friendly parcours on offer in 2025 however, the Dutch superstar has now been backed by the boss of the Tour de France - Christian Prudhomme, to add to his stage win tally this month.

“The fact that he’s back already brings a smile to my face," says a delighted race director Prudhomme in conversation with De Telegraaf ahead of the 2025 Tour de France. "Just saying his name brings joy. We saw him attacking every day at the Dauphiné recently. Watching him race is simply a thrill. His presence is a huge asset to the Tour.”

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.”