After scoring a breakthrough victory at last year’s Vuelta a España, Danny van Poppel is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Tom Boonen and John Degenkolb in becoming a rider who can triumph both in bunch sprints and in the Classics.
“I want to do a bit of both,” the 22-year-old tells Cyclingnews at Team Sky’s recent training camp, where he is a fresh face after joining from Trek Factory Racing.
“A little bit like Degenkolb and Boonen, I want to win sprints and also to prepare for the Classics in the future. The experience is very important. I don’t think you can win a Classic at 22 but it’s a big goal to win a Classic and I’m working on the process to one day win a big one.”
The one-day races that catch Van Poppel’s eye include Milan-San Remo, which he describes as “a dream Classic”, but he also has his sights set on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. His debut at La Primavera will have to wait until at least 2017, but he is set to make his Flanders debut this season, followed by a return to Roubaix.
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“I only did Roubaix last year and was placed 45th, three minutes behind Degenkolb,” he says before adding, with self-assurance: “It’s not bad for a first Roubaix.”
Despite that Vuelta stage win at the back end of last season, Van Poppel failed to come to an agreement with Trek for a contract renewal, and signed for Team Sky on a two-year deal. Though he was keen to play down the acrimony between himself and Trek hinted at in the Dutch press, he described Sky as a much better environment in which to develop at this early stage in his career.
“At Trek it was always around Fabian,” he says. “Here I have a chance. I have the chance to learn about the Classics. Not only the Classics – I’ll get some chances in the sprints.
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