Van der Poel fights for Milan's wheel in bunch sprint: "This is exactly what I need"

Immediately after the finish, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider spoke to Sporza. "It was incredibly hectic. The pace was incredibly high in the last five kilometers. It was a battle to the last corner, but I was in a good position. However, Milan was clearly the fastest," said the 30-year-old.

When it came to a bunch sprint, Van der Poel knew before the stage that he had his work cut out against stage winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who proved to be the fastest after a perfect lead-out. "I knew in advance that it would be difficult, but it's definitely not bad for me to compete in these sprints. My feeling? It was a very different finish than yesterday, but I'm also satisfied with today's stage."

Van der Poel was able to start the sprint on Milan's wheel. "It was a battle," said VDP to the camera of CyclingProNet. "Everyone knew he was the fastest, and that's how it turned out. I got involved in the sprint and am happy with another third place." Van der Poel also finished third in the first stage, putting the world cyclo-cross champion third in the GC, just two seconds behind leader Milan and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG), who is neck and neck with Milan.

"The team did well today. In the end, it was up to me to position myself well. In sprints like this, it's almost impossible to beat him. He's one of the fastest men in the peloton. So I think I can be happy with third place," concluded the team leader when asked about Milan's sprinting legs.

After the crash during a mountain bike race a few weeks ago and a strong finish on day one of this French stage race, it already looks like Van der Poel is back in good shape. The rider himself confirms this once again. "I actually felt really good. Hopefully, it will continue to improve day by day."

Van der Poel is also pleased with his overall condition. "I'm pleased with my form at the moment. After the crash, it was still uncertain how the preparation would go. But I've been able to put in a lot of hours, and this is exactly what I need to finish strong in the final. There's still a lot to do for me this week, and I'm really looking forward to it," Van der Poel concludes.