Steven de Jongh (Lidl-Trek) explored first 11 stages of Tour de France and shares his findings with us

The Dutch sports director, who lives in Andorra, is known for his meticulous approach to racing — especially at the Tour. Over the past few months, he’s spent countless hours on the road, personally scouting the first eleven stages of this year’s race.

And from Stage 1, there’s a clear goal in sight: yellow. With Milan backed by a finely tuned lead-out train of Edward Theuns, Jasper Stuyven, and Simone Consonni, De Jongh sees a golden opportunity on day one in Lille.

Few doubt that Stage 1 will end in a bunch sprint — but what’s the key to winning it? “The final straight is everything,” De Jongh said. “As a lead-out, you need to have real horsepower left in that last stretch — it’s 1.5 kilometers straight to the line. That’s where you need guys who can still deliver.”

“For Jonathan, it’s an ideal finish. But also for Tim Merlier — although in a different way. He’s the king of timing,” De Jongh acknowledged. The opening week will take the peloton through Dunkirk, Normandy, and Brittany — regions not always praised for their rider-friendly roads. But De Jongh thinks it’s manageable. “It’s classic French countryside, haha. No, it’s actually not that bad,” he joked, brushing off concerns voiced by other teams.

“There’s not a lot of street furniture and the roads aren’t that narrow. But you’ve got 23 teams all trying to be in front. That’s what makes it dangerous. Doesn’t matter how wide the roads are — everyone’s fighting for position.”

The route features plenty of hilly terrain early on. “Only the Netherlands is flat,” De Jongh said with a grin. “We always say: if it’s between 2,000 and 2,500 meters of elevation, it’s basically a flat stage.” So what does he expect from the opening block? “Stages 1, 3, 8, and 9 are for the sprinters. Stages 2, 4, 6, and 7 are more like Liège-Bastogne-Liège — real puncheur territory. Perfect for guys like Thibau Nys, but also Mathieu van der Poel. Stage 5 is a time trial, Stage 11 in Toulouse could go either way — reduced bunch or punchers — and Stage 10 is, in my opinion, a full mountain day.”

In Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek has a GC rider tailor-made for this type of Tour. Earlier this year, the Dane said he’d love to try the cobbled classics someday — and that punchy skillset might come in handy now. Will there be big GC gaps early on? That depends. “The weather will play a big role,” De Jongh said. “The first four stages are very open — lots of exposed terrain — so crosswinds could wreak havoc. Later in the race, there are more trees and noise barriers, which protect from the wind. So the early days are where the danger lies.”

Beyond the headliners, Lidl-Trek brings a well-balanced squad. Quinn Simmons, the U.S. national champion, is on duty as primary workhorse, edging out Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Otto Vergaerde for a spot.

Toms Skujins also made the cut, offering his all-round ability and strength in the medium mountains. Notably, that means no room for Lennard Kämna, Tao Geoghegan Hart, or Julien Bernard. With a deep squad, strong leadership, and clear goals on every type of terrain, Lidl-Trek seems ready to leave its mark on this Tour de France.