Van der Poel saw it coming and was proven right: ‘Then it doesn't make much sense’
CyclingTuesday, 14 July 2026 at 17:57
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Follow us on GoogleFor now, Mathieu van der Poel will have to live off the high of his stage victory in Stage 9 of the Tour de France and the fact that he and his girlfriend Roxanne are expecting a baby girl. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech was tipped as an underdog to play another starring role in Stage 10 after the first rest day, but that didn’t pan out.
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Van der Poel did give it a shot, as the 31-year-old Dutchman was part of a group of more than thirty riders in the opening stages of the tenth stage. However, when the climbing began, not many riders remained at the front, and in the peloton, Tadej Pogacar led his UAE Emirates-XRG teammates to the front.
Everything fell back into place, just as Van der Poel had predicted to some extent in the mixed zone before the start. “It’ll become clear quickly during the stage, based on how the peloton behaves and how UAE rides. I get the impression they want to go for it. I did consider joining the breakaway, but I have a feeling that UAE wants to go for the stage win.”
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Van der Poel was in good spirits heading into the tenth stage.
Van der Poel doesn't waste any energy in Tour de France stage
That prediction came true, so Van der Poel quickly decided to cut his losses. In his view, trying to keep up with a breakaway group or the peloton would be a waste of energy. “It doesn’t make much sense to waste that energy,” he said before the stage. The fact that he was still in contention was mainly because he had surprised even himself in Stage 9, a grueling stage that he suddenly proved capable of winning.
"It starts with the legs—I've said that before," Van der Poel admitted candidly. So they were in pretty good shape on Tuesday after the rest day, but those who had a lot of faith in him didn't bet on a win at the bookmakers. “I think they’re going to lose a lot of money—depending on how much they bet, of course,” he laughed.
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Van der Poel won a Tour stage last Sunday, but was unable to keep up in Stage 10.
Van der Poel enjoys stage victory and the arrival of a baby girl
It probably didn’t make much difference to Van der Poel. On Tuesday, riding at the back of the pack, he was still able to calmly savor the afterglow of his victory from last Sunday—and the announcement of his baby’s gender. Van der Poel is going to be the father of a girl. “I’m definitely happy—it’s something to look forward to,” he said affectionately.
"We already knew the baby's gender a few days ago—that was nice. But the most important thing is that the baby is healthy. I hadn't planned any celebratory gesture for a gender reveal anyway ; all I could think about was the sprint and winning."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Oof, that gravel looked like marbles. Pidcock usually dances down descents—if he’s sliding, everyone’s on edge. Buena suerte a todos, stay upright mañana.lindae14-07-2026
- - Rough day for Visma. Jonas looked glued when Pogačar kicked on Le Lioran, and losing time to the other GC guys stings. Kuss popping that early was the real shocker though. Hope Jorgenson’s OK after that slide—thumbs-up was reassuring.breakawaybikerd14-07-2026
- - So if UAE keeps chasing everything, how does a breakaway even survive? Do teams just stop trying to get up the road if Pogacar’s boys always pull it back? También, ¿por qué todos cayeron en la misma curva? Parece muy peligroso.lindae14-07-2026
- - Harper looked in bits after that corner. Hope he’s alright. Interesting that Bogaerts basically predicted UAE would throttle it post-rest day—textbook control from Pog’s squad.pedalpowe2914-07-2026
- - Bastille Day win in jaune… that’s box-office stuff. Also love the shout to Del Toro; the kid’s learning the WorldTour ropes fast. UAE look frighteningly well-drilled this Tour.pedalpowe2914-07-2026
- - Great read, but the piece glosses over Vingegaard’s condition and tactics today. Was Visma actually chasing or did they gamble on the descent? Feels like we’re missing context on how the gap stuck in those final 10k.patriciaw14-07-2026
- - Wait, what are “earpieces” in cycling? Are riders allowed to talk to coaches during the race like in F1 radio? How come he couldn’t hear time gaps with the big crowds?cyclechamp4514-07-2026
- - Proper redemption arc from Pogi. You could see he measured that last kilometre after what happened in Le Lioran two years ago. UAE’s pacing on the Pas de Peyrol was spot on, Almeida and Yates emptied themselves perfectly. Chapeau.lindae14-07-2026
- - Philipsen needs a clean run. MVP, Rickaert, Planckaert can deliver but their timing’s been off. Kooij’s train is tidy; he can surf wheels if needed. Mi pronóstico: Merlier > Kooij > Girmay. Vamos!raceready714-07-2026
- - So with only 1,400 m of climbing, does that mean all the big sprinters definitely make the time cut? And the tailwind—does it make it faster or more dangerous in that last chicane/roundabout bit?tourdeforce914-07-2026
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