Groenewegen aims for the first yellow jersey of the Tour: 'The speed is there, the condition too'

The Jayco-AlUla sprinter is bidding for victory in the first stage in Lille, in a challenge that promises to be stellar

Dylan Groenewegen joins the list of sprint greats aiming for victory and the first yellow jersey in the opening stage of the 2025 Tour de France in Lille.

The Jayco-AlUla rider has recently returned to his best form, taking two stages at the Tour of Slovenia, and his confidence is growing as the Grande Partenza in northern France approaches. The Tour kicks off on Saturday, July 5, with a 184.9km stage around the Lille metropolitan area, with a planned sprint finish in the city center.

Among the most likely rivals for the victory are Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto), three-time stage winner and 2024 green jersey holder Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility).

'There is much more at stake than just a stage of the Tour and as a sprinter you don't often get this opportunity,' Groenewegen said in a relaxed interview with Dutch national television Nos, conducted on a boat near his home in the Netherlands.

The Dutch sprinter, now 32, is in the final year of his contract with Jayco-AlUla. While he is not expected to remain with the Australian team, he will share the lead with Ben O'Connor and will be targeting the numerous sprint opportunities in the first half of the 2025 Tour.

Groenewegen has competed in the Tour seven times, finishing it six times and winning stages in five different editions, including two in 2018. His last victory was in 2024 in Dijon, when he beat Girmay.

"If I felt I wasn't up to it anymore, I wouldn't go. I could think of a better holiday," he said of the three weeks of suffering and intense racing in July.

The Dutch sprinter has recovered from a concussion after a crash at the 2025 UAE Tour and another hard crash at Tirreno-Adriatico, but is now back to almost his best:

'The speed is there, the condition is there and the instinct is back where it needs to be'