Jasper Stuyven stays confident that Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar can be beaten

It has been five years since Jasper Stuyven triumphed on the Via Roma in Milan-San Remo. He will be there again this coming weekend, but for the first time in his career wearing a different jersey than that of Lidl-Trek and its predecessors. The 33-year-old Belgian switched last winter to Soudal-Quick Step. Partly to help prepare Paul Magnier for the future, but first and foremost to continue achieving results in the classics himself. He told WielerFlits this in the Alpecin Barbershop.

Last winter, Soudal-Quick Step said goodbye to Remco Evenepoel and, in a way, also to the Grand Tour focus into which the Belgian team had heavily invested in recent years to better support their leader. Now that Evenepoel is gone, the team is returning to its roots: classics and sprints. Enter Jasper Stuyven, who came over from Lidl-Trek. There, he was extremely successful in the classics – including a win in La Primavera 2021, and also Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2020 and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2016 – as well as in sprints supporting Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan. In other words, the Belgian is a real reinforcement for Soudal-Quick Step.

Jasper Stuyven in the Alpecin Barbershop - photo: Raymond Kerckhoffs

In the classics, he and Dylan van Baarle are the new flag bearers, in a team that also includes newcomer Laurenz Rex, veteran Yves Lampaert, and young talent Paul Magnier. “For me, it will be a bit of a combination between racing for finals and nurturing our talents,” Stuyven explains. “There are some great classics where both Dylan and I can do our thing. That’s the goal. Besides, we obviously have Paul, who is a very talented rider, very strong, and has a bright future ahead. But he won’t yet be taking on all the responsibility this year.”

“There are many opportunities to shape him,” Stuyven refers to the growth Magnier can still undergo under the experienced wings of the team leaders. “We can teach him things that help him develop in the biggest races. Wherever we can offer tips, we will do so. So it’s really a mix of both, but of course my own ambition is still to try and ride those finals in the classics and hopefully bring in good results, like I was able to do in the past two seasons.” Last year, the Belgian placed fifth in both the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders. A year earlier, he was runner-up in the E3.

Stuyven and Van Baarle scouting Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - photo: fotopersburo Cor Vos[/caption]

Facing Pogacar and Van der Poel
In recent years, Stuyven has been part of the group of about eight to fifteen riders who play the second fiddle in the classics behind superhumans Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel. It can be frustrating to compete against them. “Well... I might be more frustrated if riders of my caliber were sometimes winning and I wasn’t,” Stuyven admits honestly. “Whenever Tadej or Mathieu wins, it’s in a superior way. That makes it easier for me to accept. Of course, it’s sometimes frustrating, because you start with the intention to win. If those guys come out on top again that day, then it’s a shame.”

“But it also makes it special. Because we are part of an incredibly unique generation with the statistics – both Mathieu and Tadej – currently showing,” the Belgian says. Tactically, there is often nothing to counter them with. “That’s right. People always say: anticipate and plan what you want to do. But first of all, you need to have a very good day and be spared from bad luck. Everything can fall into place. Especially for the group of ten to fifteen riders I belong to behind those two top riders. If they have some bad luck or an off day, and someone from our group has a super-duper day... I think we have to keep believing that this can still happen.”