Danny Van Poppel arrived at Team Sky as a future Classics contender who could also win bunch sprints. The former Vuelta stage winner didn't get his career with the team off to a great start as a knee injury kept him out of action until March. But he showed form in the sprins and has been in golden shape recently, taking four wins this year, three in the last five weeks.
CyclingQuotes caught up with Danny to exclusively speak to him on the eve of the Tour of Britain, at the team presentation in Glasgow's George Square.
“It’s been a really nice season, in the beginning I had some knee problems but I’ve come good in the last few months and I’m in good shape and looking forward to this race with the team.”
For this race, Van Poppel must contend with Elia Viviani for sprint leadership, although he has the edge as it is the Italian's first race on the road since abandoning the Tour of Poland. Van Poppel says sprint leadership will be decided on the road.
“We will see how we feel and we will decide then who leads for the sprints.”
After a great season, the 23 year old says he hopes to make the Netherlands team for the Worlds, although Dylan Groenewegen's presence may make leadership impossible.
“It’s not sure but I hope I do the Worlds. Its similar to Britain actually, it’s a long race and we have two sprinters in Holland, me and Groenewegen, and we will decide who will sprint.”
After his knee issues kept him out of the Flanders Classics for the last two years (Danny has still managed to ride two Roubaixs), his big goal is to ride the Flandrian races for the first time in 2017.
“Next year the Classics will be a big goal. I tried to do it last year but I had a knee injury. Next year I hope to be at 100% for those races. As for which of the races suits me best, I don’t know, we will just have to wait and see.”
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