Mathieu van der Poel expressed admiration for the recovery of Grand Tour cyclists after losing the yellow jersey on stage 7 of the Tour de France. Despite previous success, fatigue hindered his performance on stage 7, where he finished 22nd and 1:20 down on stage winner Pogačar. Van der Poel noted that the intense racing schedule required extraordinary recovery abilities, which he struggled with. He acknowledged that, while he excels in one-day races, the rigors of multi-stage events pose a significant challenge for him.
"I think it was [the fatigue of stage 6]. Four years ago, it was also the second race day. I need my best legs here to try and follow these guys, and I didn't have them today."
"The first time up Mûr-de-Bretagne, I almost got dropped. I knew then that they would ride up even faster the second time."
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