Interview | Poels has another goal in the Tour, besides stage win: "It's playing in the back of my mind"

We’re speaking with Poels prior to the Brabantse Pijl. The Dutchman started the Ardennes Classics opener for the seventh time in his career. "I think my last time riding it was the year covid hit (2020, ed.). The race was just after the World Championships. That’s when they did that cobbled climb (the Moskesstraat, ed.) for the first time."

However, Poels has not ridden the Brabantse Pijl very often in recent years, as – prior to the covid edition – the last time he had started the race was in 2014. Why did he choose to head to Leuven this year? "I haven't ridden a one-day race in a long time. The last one was the World Championships in Australia. It's always a wait-and-see situation, when you’re riding a one-day race again. And now, as part of the Ardennes Classics, there’s four of them lined up right away. I think the Brabantse Pijl is a beautiful race, so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the weather will be okay." The weather was not okay, but Poels' legs were okay. The result was a 30th place, after a lot of work for the team.

Wout Poels

We could already tell that Poels was in good shape from the confidence and enthusiasm with which he spoke to us in Leuven. "It's actually going well. I started the season off well with the UAE Tour, where I finished sixth in the general classification. In the Tour of Catalonia, I helped the team. I rode mostly in service of Mikel Landa. So I feel good," the Bahrain Victorious rider said.

The three Ardennes Classics that are yet to come – the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – should theoretically suit Poels better than the Brabantse Pijl. So what does he expect from the coming weeks? "It's hard to say. It's always a matter of waiting to see how things play out. But I'm definitely looking forward to it." However, repeating his win in Liège-Bastogne-Liège will be difficult. "My victory there was quite a while ago," he laughs. "It will be tough with the likes of Remco and Pogacar. With them in the race, it's truly next level. But you have to approach things from a positive perspective and go for it with a fresh mind."

Plenty of stage victories at the WorldTour level for Poels, but he hasn't managed to pull one off in a grand tour yet. The Dutchman wants to change that.

After the Ardennes Classics, the 35-year-old Poels is scheduled to participate in the Tour de France this summer. And that’s where he wants to fill in a gap in his track record: a stage win in a grand tour. "That's still very high on my list. But two years ago, I was also very close to the mountain jersey and that's still playing in my mind. First, let's hope that the upcoming races go well, and then we'll see. But, indeed, that stage win is currently my biggest motivation."