WATT WORKS FOR ME Danny van Poppel

The Bora-Hansgrohe rider tells us how he's become arguably the best leadout man in the business

- Chris Marshall-Bell

How has the Tour de France been so far?

This is my third consecutive Tour and for me this one has been the easiest. I think that’s because we’ve had a lot more easy sprint days where the peloton has been more relaxed. Last year was unbelievable – there was never a day off. But this year the GC fight started on day one and that was important for the peloton’s stress.

Why did you make the transition from sprinter to leadout man?

When I was the leader at Intermarché-Wanty [in 2021], there was so much pressure – everyone expected me to win. When it doesn’t go so well, it’s not nice, and no fun. I said to my girlfriend [Dutch F1 reporter Stéphane Kox] that if a good team asked me to be part of their leadout for one of the best sprinters in the world, I would do it. Bora were resigning Sam Bennett and I was more than happy to take the opportunity.

How did you learn how to move around in bunch sprints?