“Every Tour victory is special. Not only this,” the 29-year-old sprinter denied that Sunday’s triumph meant more to him than the previous four from the Grande Boucle in 2018 and 2019. And yet he had tears in his eyes.
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He returned to the Tour de France after a long break. The last time he drove the most famous race was in 2019. A year later, he did not make it into the nomination. He couldn’t either because he was under punishment. In August, as a competitor of the Jumbo Visma formation, he pushed fellow countryman Fabio Jakobsen into the barrier, who fought for his life and had to undergo many operations.
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Groenewegen faced a wave of hatred at the time. They even threatened him with death. The UCI banned him from racing for nine months. And when his contract with the Dutch team expired, he did not receive another offer, even if it was a well-established one.
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Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen celebrates a stage triumph at the Tour de France.Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes, Reuters
This winter he therefore transferred to the Australian BikeExChange Jayco stable. “They showed a lot of trust in me,” he did not hide his gratitude as he savored the moment on the Tour de France podium.
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In a sprint, he beat former teammate Wout van Aert, with whom he wore the Jumbo Visma jersey for three years. “Wout always jokes that until one is sure of victory one should celebrate and claim victory. So I followed his advice. And then I saw that the sports directors in the car were rejoicing, so I understood that the victory was mine,” smiled Groenewegen.
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As soon as he came to his senses and shook off the greatest fatigue, he fell into his father’s arms. “He is at the finish line of every stage on the Grand Tour. Most of the time you pass each other, but today he appeared right at my place. It was special to share that moment of victory with him and make him happy. My family was very supportive after the accident two years ago in Poland,” he explained with evident emotion when recalling the difficult times.
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A shot of cyclists during the third stage of the Tour de France.Photo: Thibault Camus, CTK/AP
There wasn’t much missing, and he didn’t go for the win on Sunday at all. “Nine kilometers before the finish line, I got involved in a collision and fell. But the team was able to return me to the main field,” he described the critical moment.
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And then everything went smoothly. “Amund Groendahl Jansen put me in the perfect position. He was my teammate back in Jumbo Visma and I knew he was freaking strong. He went full throttle for me,” he praised the help of his teammate.
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He was at the limit himself. “I was gasping for breath, my legs were totally tired, but I still had enough strength to sprint,” he explained, enjoying the applause of the enthusiastic Danish fans. They had applauded Jakobsen for his stage triumph the day before. The Jakobsen whose Groenewegen knocked down…
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