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SportsQuiet 3d · day 4

Van der Poel's 174km Solo Win Signals Peak Form for Road Worlds

Dutch rider's record-breaking attack at Tour de Luxembourg sends message to climbers ahead of Montréal championship race.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 2d ago2 pieces796 likes & upvotes4 comments XNewswires

What to know

  • Van der Poel rode 174km solo at the Tour de Luxembourg—the longest solo victory of the 21st century, far surpassing previous records—demonstrating peak fitness just days before the road world championships.
  • The performance reverses concerns van der Poel had raised about his chances against climbing specialists Evenepoel, del Toro, and Seixas on the hilly Montréal course.
  • The victory caps a volatile preparation week where van der Poel's form was inconsistent before he found his legs on Sunday, suggesting he has timed his peak for the world championships road race this weekend.

“Above all, it's the feeling from today that is important. I always like coming here. It's a really nice race, and it's well organized, so I'm happy to win the final stage.”

Mathieu van der Poel, Dutch cyclist · Velo ↗ · Sep 20

Mathieu van der Poel Dutch road cyclistRemco Evenepoel Belgian cyclist, world championships favoriteIsaac del Toro Cyclist, world championships contenderPaul Seixas Young cyclist, world championships contender

Van der Poel's 174km Solo Win Signals Peak Form for Road Worlds
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How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

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Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 7:48 AM ET
  1. background

    Van der Poel's form reversal sends message to road worlds rivals — The dominant solo win contradicts Van der Poel's earlier concerns about his chances against climbing specialists on the hilly Montréal course. His competitors—Evenepoel, del Toro, and Seixas—have been logging strong results at Canadian tune-up races (GP Québec and GP Montréal), but the Luxembourg masterclass demonstrates van der Poel may have found his peak at the right moment.

  2. background

    Van der Poel credits peak physical condition for dominant performance — Van der Poel attributed the victory to exceptional form on Sunday after admitting his legs were not where he wanted them earlier in the week following training in Spain. He emphasized the importance of the Luxembourg race for his preparation ahead of the world championships.

  3. 1

    Van der Poel completes 174km solo raid at Tour de Luxembourg

    On the final stage of the Tour de Luxembourg, Mathieu van der Poel attacked from the opening kilometers and rode solo for approximately four hours over nearly 3,000m of rolling hills to win by a massive margin. The 174km escape is the longest solo victory of the 21st century, surpassing Tadej Pogačar's previous record of 81km at Strade Bianche 2024.

    “This wasn't the plan before the start. I just found myself alone right at the beginning of the race, and I simply rode at my own tempo all day.”
    — Mathieu van der Poel
    1. 1 outlet Mathieu van der Poel Issues 174km-Long Warning to the Climbers Ahead of Road Worlds

      first by Velo, 3d ago

    • That's one way of training for worlds 😲 Mathieu Van der Poel demolished his record for the longest solo victory of his career on Stage 5 of the Škoda Tour of Luxembourg with a 175km lone ride, bettering his 59.6km solo triumph at Paris-Roubaix 2024. 📸 Getty Images

      @VelonCCX3d ago796▲view on X ↗