Van der Poel wins Tour de France stage after long breakaway

Mathieu van der Poel claimed his first major stage victory of the season, winning the third stage of the Tour de France in Ussel, France. The Dutch cyclist launched a powerful sprint from the front on a steep incline, enduring temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius while pursued by a peloton just seconds behind.

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The most difficult thing is to get into the breakaway.

Van der Poel described the breakaway itself as the most challenging part of the day, more so than the final sprint. This win marks his third career stage victory in the Tour de France, adding a significant highlight to a season that had not met his usual high standards. While he secured wins in smaller spring classics and stages in Tirreno-Adriatico, major monuments like Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders went to rivals Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert.

For his team, Alpecin-Premier Tech, Van der Poel's victory is a major success, alleviating the frustration that had built up during the first week of the race. Sprinter Jasper Philipsen, another key rider for the team, had narrowly missed out on stage wins on three occasions, despite strong support. Team manager Philip Roodhooft expressed relief and joy, noting that Van der Poel's win made the Tour a success for the team in one fell swoop.

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A mixture of relief and joy.

Despite the team's earlier setbacks, Van der Poel maintained a positive attitude, which his other team manager, Christoph Roodhooft, described as "more than okay." He acknowledged that Van der Poel had "bitten through the sour apple" but in a constructive way, understanding the impact of his demeanor on the group. Roodhooft estimated Van der Poel's chances of winning the stage at 80 percent once he was in the leading group of four, stating, "He rarely lets something like that slip away. Because he is Mathieu van der Poel."

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He has bitten through the sour apple, but in a positive way. He realizes that his mood and his state of mind weigh on the group.

The stage itself was shortened by thirty kilometers due to the heat. Van der Poel played a key role in breaking up the race early on, eventually joining a strong breakaway group on the second climb of the day, approximately thirty kilometers from the finish.

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He rarely lets something like that slip away. Because he is Mathieu van der Poel.