Mathieu van der Poel Confident Ahead of World Championship Despite Missing Out on Victory at Tour de Luxembourg: "I am happy with the feeling"
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel may have missed out on overall victory
at the Tour de Luxembourg, but the Dutchman remains optimistic as he prepares
to defend his rainbow jersey at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich next
weekend.
Van der Poel started the final stage of the race in the
leader's yellow jersey, only to be overtaken by Bahrain Victorious rider
Antonio Tiberi. Tiberi launched a decisive attack in the closing stages of the
stage, capitalizing on the challenging terrain and a narrow 10-second deficit
in the general classification. Finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of Van der
Poel, Tiberi claimed both the stage and the overall victory.
Despite finishing second overall, Van der Poel remains
upbeat about his form heading into one of the biggest races of the season.
Speaking to In de Leiderstrui, the defending World Champion acknowledged
the challenges he faced during the final stage.
"As I've said before this round: it's a shame that we
lost a few guys from the team. In a stage like this, I could have used some
support. The local circuit here was very difficult," said Van der Poel.
The Dutchman highlighted the difficulty of racing without
adequate team support on such a demanding course, where individual tactics
played a major role. "I think I showed that I had the legs to win, but
it's quite difficult to make a difference on your own, especially when you
attack in turns. You have to gamble a bit."
Despite the setback, Van der Poel took several positives
from his performance. "I am happy with the feeling," he said.
"My legs were good here in Luxembourg. I also simply enjoyed it. On the
last, steep climb of this stage, I also noticed that I was doing well. I can be
happy about that."
As the 2024 World Championships approach, Van der Poel will
face fierce competition from riders like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
However, his strong showing in Luxembourg suggests that the Dutchman will still
be a serious threat in Zurich.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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