The Baloise Belgium Tour (14-18 June) has added a new top name to the list of participants. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin – Deceuninck) will be at the start of the Belgian stage race for the fourth time in Scherpenheuvel-Zichem on 14 June.
Mathieu van der Poel, who won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in spring, will use the Baloise Belgium Tour to prepare for his participation in the Tour de France. It will be the fourth time Van der Poel participates in the five-day Belgian stage race. After finishing sixth in the overall classification in 2015, he took his second road victory two years later in Moorslede in West Flanders when Van der Poel made it after a sprint in an elite group ahead of Belgian Champion Philippe Gilbert and … Wout van Aert.
“I am delighted to be able to race in my own country once more,” says Van der Poel looking ahead to his participation. “The Baloise Belgium Tour is a race that appeals to me a lot. I also get to meet some guys from our Tour selection there, including Jasper Philipsen. We’re going to see what we can do for each other.”
Christophe Impens of organiser Golazo is proud of Van der Poel’s appearance. “Thanks to his previous participations in the Baloise Belgium Tour, but also in the Benelux Tour and many of our cyclo-cross races, we can surely call Mathieu one of the family and we are very happy that he is starting with us. It also proves that the Baloise Belgium Tour fits in well with the preparation for the Tour. Although we secretly hope that the final classification on 18 June is one of his goals as well…”
There will be eight WorldTour teams at the start of the Baloise Belgium Tour. Besides Van der Poel, his teammate Jasper Philipsen already confirmed his attendance, as did Yves Lampaert and Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal – Quick Step) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny).
MVDP also starts in Dwars door het Hageland
Ahead of the Baloise Belgium Tour, Mathieu van der Poel will also appear at the start of Duracell Dwars door het Hageland, a stage of the Lotto Cycling Cup, on Saturday 10 June. Van der Poel also holds fond memories of this race, characterised by a course over unpaved roads and forest trails. In 2017, he won ahead of Taco van der Hoorn and Van Aert.
“With my cyclo-cross background, I should be able to play a significant role there now too,” said Van der Poel. Last year’s win at the Citadel of Diest went to Van der Poel’s teammate and compatriot Oscar Riesebeek.
