Tour de France riders share ambitions and critique race format

Dutch rider Rick Pluimers, 25, will make his Tour de France debut in 2026 with Tudor Pro Cycling. He describes his preparation as flawless and says he feels in his best form, looking especially to the race’s fifth stage. Pluimers recalls watching the Tour as a child near Annecy and expresses excitement about the large crowds and the challenge of the mountain stages. He also notes the inclusion of teammate Arvid de Kleijn for sprint finishes.

Former champion and current analyst Adrie van der Poel, writing a new column, warns that modern Tours feature shorter stages, often below 200 km, which he believes favor lighter riders and diminish the classic long‑duration battles he experienced in his ten Tours. He also criticises recent safety measures that, in his view, can create anticlimactic finishes, such as early time‑recording on the final stage into Paris.