philipsen van der poel In the last two editions of the Tour de France , it has become a familiar sight: Mathieu van der Poel executing a perfect lead-out for teammate Jasper Philipsen . Using this exact formula, the Belgian has secured seven of his nine stage victories in the Tour. And it’s possible we might see this happen again in 2025.
In Singapore, on the eve of the Prudential Singapore Criterium, Philipsen spoke with the Dutch De Telegraaf . "I’ve asked Mathieu a few times to come along, but he feels comfortable in Spain during the off-season," he said. This was his fourth season with Alpecin-Deceuninck , and by now, he and Van der Poel have become good friends. "On a personal level, we got along right away, and during races, we noticed that we could read each other quite quickly. I felt comfortable within the team immediately, and we have fun together, which is very important to me."
Although the 26-year-old sprinter often takes advantage of the steering skills of the former world champion, he doesn’t want to sell him short. "I never call Mathieu a lead-out, as I think that’s disrespectful in his case. He enjoys doing it and is probably the best in the peloton, but he is so much more than that. In most races Mathieu competes in, he is our team leader. What’s great about him is that when he sees little or no chance to win, he is happy to contribute to the […]
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