Teammates question Tirreno gravel stage despite Van der Poel victory

The gravel section produced immediate tension in the bunch as riders scrambled for position before the narrow sector began. Wet conditions made the surface unpredictable and several riders struggled to keep control on the muddy corners and loose stones.

Van der Poel thrived in those circumstances and once again showed he was the strongest in this kind of terrain. But even after the victory, teammates Edward Planckaert and Jasper Philipsen were not entirely convinced by the stage design and voiced their reservations about the gravel sector afterwards.

“It was a rather calm start, but we knew the last 80 kilometres would be difficult and that rain was possible,” Edward Planckaert said to Sporza. “We tried to keep Mathieu at the front as much as possible. If you have him with you on a finish like that, you know you always have a chance. You have to take that chance.”

Asked about the gravel sector, Planckaert was clear.

“I have an opinion about it, but I will keep it to myself. That says enough,” he said. “In certain races it’s beautiful and fun, but for me it doesn’t have to be in every race.”

Jasper Philipsen also questioned whether the design of the finale was necessary. “It suits Mathieu very well, but it was a bit strange, that sector at the end of a race,” he said. “Maybe it created spectacle, but whether it was necessary? I’m not sure.”

Van der Poel himself acknowledged that the finale felt unusual compared with most stage races, though he ultimately saw the positive side. “It was something special,” he said. “It’s always difficult to judge beforehand. You see the images and you have an idea, but at race speed it’s always different.”

“Can it be in a race? I thought it was okay. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but this is a beautiful town. Today it actually had a certain charm.”

The debate had already begun before the peloton even rolled out. Thymen Arensman raised concerns about the stage design after the opening time trial the day before.

“I actually really like gravel and I would have loved to ride Strade Bianche as well,” he said. “But this stage only has a gravel sector in the finale with several sharp corners. In my opinion that is a bit asking for trouble.”

“For a first stage like this it is not ideal. If you do gravel, make it really hard and create differences. Now we will probably arrive there like a bunch of crazy riders.”

His warning proved prophetic. Arensman himself crashed on the muddy gravel roads during the finale, losing his good position in the GC as he finished 63rd on 1:38 minute behind landgenoot Van der Poel.