Van der Poel had a little bet with Evenepoel before the Dauphiné time trial: "It was close"

"It was a good time trial, especially after Tuesday's stage, which was a very tough day in the breakaway. I'm pleased with how it went," Van der Poel said after his time trial in the mixed zone as the wearer of the green jersey in this Dauphiné.

After Tuesday's stage, Van der Poel concluded that it was "one of the toughest days on the bike ever" for him, which he repeated on Wednesday. "My legs were sore during the recon and warm-up; I felt we had raced well the day before."

"But I was still motivated to make the best of it in the time trial: I gave it my all. And I'm happy with how it went," repeated van der Poel, who managed to stay ahead of specialists such as Rémi Cavagna, Tobias Foss, and Magnus Sheffield.

So why did van der Poel, who is not aiming for the GC in this Dauphiné, race so hard? "I wasn't thinking about the yellow jersey because guys like Remco and the other GC contenders would gain much time. The yellow jersey was out of reach, but I mainly wanted to ride well for myself."

A little bet with his good friend and winner, Evenepoel, was also behind it. "I asked Remco a few weeks ago if I could finish within a minute of him. It was close, but I just didn't make it. So I still have work to do,"concluded van der Poel, who finished 1.02 minutes behind Evenepoel, with a big smile as he spoke to the organization.

On Thursday, the Dutchman will have another stage tailored to his strengths, finishing in Macon after a hilly ride.