Mathieu van der Poel has plans for punchy stage: "I definitely won’t hold back"

Mathieu van der Poel already has a stage win under his belt in Tirreno-Adriatico, but today he faces another stage that suits him perfectly. On the way to the finish in Martinsicuro, there are plenty of elevation meters and short climbs on the menu. "It’s one of the last chances," MVDP said before the start to Het Nieuwsblad.

The fourth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico goes through the Apennines, where climbing comes early with the Ovindoli and Valico delle Capanne passes among others. The route totals 2500 meters of elevation gain.

In the finale, the climb to Tortoreto (1.5 km at 8.4%) awaits as a great springboard for the puncheurs. After this climb, there is still a flat final stretch of about twelve kilometers towards the finish.

In other words, the stage seems tailor-made for Mathieu van der Poel, but what does the Alpecin-Premier Tech leader have up his sleeve? "I think it’s possible to get into the early break. I’m definitely going to try to make the race. In terms of form, I’m happy with where I am, but I hope to be a few percent better next week."

"Can I win? That will depend on how the race unfolds, but the last fifty kilometers are tough. If Jasper (Philipsen, ed.) is still with us, we’ll play his card. But I’m not holding back; it’s one of my last chances in this Tirreno."