ProTeam Maxim Van Gils, 2 days before the Grand Départ: "The atmosphere is great I'm really looking forward to it."

"We're starting with a really great team. Arnaud De Lie is on cloud nine after his Belgian title. This is his first Tour, so it's his first chance to really compete in those mass sprints against the very best, and we're all curious to see how that will go", Maxim tells. "And then you have Victor Campenaerts, who always brings out the best in himself in a Tour de France. The atmosphere is already very good. You can feel that everyone, including the staff, is excited. The Tour is a bit like the World Cup for cycling. It's the biggest event in the world for us. Everyone brings their best."

Maxim Van Gils finished second in stage 13 of last year's Tour after an impressive stage ending atop the Grand Colombier. "The Tour is the highest level. You don't just win here. When I finished second last year, it was a close call. Of course, I was happy. It was my first Tour and I finished second in such a stage. But afterwards came the disappointment. Winning is much more satisfying, especially in the Tour where the difference between first and second is enormous. But it's incredibly difficult."

He doesn't want to get ahead of himself. But dreaming is always allowed, Van Gils believes. "I think that at a Grand Départ, you should always have the ambition to win a stage. I think the entire peloton has that. The first stage, from Florence to Rimini, features a course that suits me well. Many riders will have marked that stage. It's somewhat like the Ardennes. The San Marino climb isn't too steep and normally it goes downhill to the finish after that. The climb before that is quite challenging. Sprinting with a small group would be ideal. The second stage is also something for me. It includes a steep climb of 1.9 kilometers at just over 10 percent on average, which we have to tackle twice. I don't like loops much, so I hope we get over it quickly the first time. But I see opportunities there too."

"My season was already successful after the spring, with a win in Frankfurt and third places in the Strade Bianche and the Flèche Wallonne, among others. It couldn't have gone much better. That's why I start this Tour with a very good feeling, I really want to enjoy it. I feel good. Winning a yellow jersey in the first weekend would be fantastic, then my career would be just perfect (laughs). Ah well, we'll see. I hope to score on Saturday or Sunday."

Picture: PhotoNews