Alpecin-Deceuninck have made a habit of winning early at the Grand Tours, and in that light, their fruitless opening week to this Tour de France had the feel of a drought. The harvest was saved on Tuesday in Saint-Amand-Montrond, where Mathieu van der Poel piloted Jasper Philipsen to victory on stage 10.
Twelve months ago, that harmonious combination proved nigh-on unbeatable at the Tour. In the finishing straight, Van der Poel would power to the front and shift the piano into place, then Philipsen would emerge from his wheel in the closing metres to play it. It all seemed so easy.
This year, the Alpecin-Deceuninck duo seemed to be hitting discordant notes in the opening week. Van der Poel found himself riding down blind allies on occasion, while Philipsen seemed a touch short of the sparkle that carried him to four stage wins and the green jersey.
On Tuesday, Van der Poel and Philipsen found they could still carry a tune. Alpecin-Deceuninck occupied the prime real estate at the head of the peloton on the approach to the sinuous final kilometre, and once Van der Poel opened the sprint in the finishing straight, the result was never in doubt. Philipsen cruised to victory ahead of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché) and Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech).
“I’ve said a few times that last year almost every sprint was a success and went perfectly, but that’s not always the case,” Van der Poel said when he wheeled to a halt beyond the finish line.
“Today we were all incredibly motivated. There are only a few more chances for us as a team. I’m glad we took our chance now.”
Van der Poel, his James Brown-esque collapses immediately after tough Classics aside, is rarely the most expressive of riders, but his body language told its own tale here. As he made his way towards his team bus, he took a tow from Sports Director Christoph Roodhooft’s car, chatting amiably as they negotiated the finish area.
The world always looks a bit different after a victory, but Van der Poel reckoned that Alpecin-Deceuninck had already hit most of their lines in Dijon on stage 6, when Philipsen was later disqualified from second place for a deviation in the sprint. That demotion – and its impact on his green jersey hopes – only heightened the pressure on the team as the race entered the second week.
"We were not far off a few times already. When Jasper was declassified, our lead-out was already pretty perfect, today it was even better,” Van der Poel said of a finale where everybody knew the importance of being in pole position at the sharp right-hand turn with 700m to go. Once Alpecin won that initial contest, there was a certain inevitability about what followed.
“That last corner was crucial, so it was a good decision to let Jonas [Rickaert] and Robbe [Ghys] take their turn a bit earlier. It worked perfectly,” said Van der Poel. “We were very motivated, but there was no real pressure. It is mainly Jasper who puts that pressure on himself. Last year was an exceptional Tour, but it just doesn't always work like that.”
One wonders if Van der Poel had inadvertently added to the pressure Philipsen heaped upon himself. Having the world champion as a deluxe lead-out man is a privilege in victory but it must feel more like an admonishment in defeat.
"I didn't talk much with Jasper,” Van der Poel said when asked if he had tried to coax his teammate through that difficult opening phase. “But he shouldn't doubt himself and he should just go for his sprint when he felt he could.”
The sentiment was echoed by Roodhooft as he reflected on Philipsen’s troubled Tour.
“Panic is a bad advisor; only calmness can teach you anything,” he said. “Today Jasper started his sprint on time, and he used the space well. He sprinted with confidence.”
It helped, of course, that Van der Poel hit his own mark so resoundingly. The Dutchman is the only rider on Alpecin-Deceuninck’s squad with the freedom to chase his own opportunities beyond teeing up Philipsen’s sprint, but he had not made a notable impression on this Tour before his lead-out here. The tough opening stages in Italy proved beyond his reach, while he endured frustration on Sunday’s gravel stage to boot.
It helps, of course, to be in France with another objective firmly in mind. Just like last year, when Van der Poel used the Tour as an extended training camp for the Glasgow World Championships, he is labouring through July with a view to the Olympic Games road race.
Van der Poel’s Spring campaign, where he took won three Classics from just seven race days, confirms that he can hit top speed from a standing start, but his cameo in Saint-Amand-Montrond offered evidence that he is firmly on track for August 3.
In the meantime, Van der Poel insists that he has no qualms about devoting the bulk of his Tour to lead-out duties.
“I am very happy that I was able to contribute my bit,” he said.
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