One of the best climbers in the world, but Luke Plapp still faces frequent obstacles - "It's about the consistency and putting it together"
Cycling
Ever since Luke Plapp turned pro in 2022, it was clear that the peloton was witnessing a great climber. Under the radar, the Team Jayco AlUla rider has come close to winning on Jebel Hafeet - where Isaac del Toro and Antonio Tiberi battled for the UAE Tour win - however his top level is rarely seen. He explains why.
2026 in itself is a good example of Plapp's situation. Whilst looking the strongest, his tactics at the Australian national championships were questionable, as he attacked in the finale to catch his teammate Luke Durbridge, and dragged rival and eventual winner Pattrick Eddy to the line. At the Tour Down Under he was one of the big favourites but was nowhere to be seen on the stage to Uraidla; whilst the stage of Old Willunga Hill was cut. At the Muscat Classic he was again very strong, but worked towards teammate Mauro Schmid's win.
At the Tour of Oman he certainly had a chance to succeed. He finished third in the queen stage to Green Mountain, but ended the race without a GC result after having lost time in the previous days. A whole lot of potential but not many results to show for, with the Australian having a very packed season start.
At the UAE Tour he finally managed to put things together and net a spot on the final podium. "I sort of knew I had these legs, and it's just a bit of bad luck throughout the whole time, like in Oman I had a crash and a puncture on the days where I needed to stay on GC," Plapp shared in words to Cyclingnews.
"So I knew I had the legs, I just hadn't been able to show it and put it together over a whole week so far this year. It was really nice to get to yesterday's stage with the GC boys, and then actually be able to have a climb where it meant something for the overall. Super happy, proud, and surprised myself a bit too. It was a perfect stage."
Plapp was sixth in the race's time-trial which boosted him up the GC significantly and then a tenth place at the queen stage to Jebel Mobrah saw him hold on to the Top5. At Jebel Hafeet, he was the first rider to bridge across to Isaac del Toro and Antonio Tiberi after the first big attack; and later on rode to second on the stage only behind the Mexican.
"I've had two to three months in Australia in the summer heat, and the Europeans obviously don't have as much heat preparation, so especially when it's hot, I really feel like that brings me up, or I don't suffer in the heat at all compared to them," he belives.
One of the best climbers in the world
By this time he expected such a result, as he has been racing non-stop since early January, and is the single most rider with the most UCI race days so far this season. "It might take a couple of per cent off, so it allows me to be right up there. I've done 20 race days, so fast, I'm almost halfway through the season and really almost peaking a lot. Compared to 2023, I think this race was a lot stronger field, a lot more depth, and the quality of power and the riding we've done the whole week's been a lot higher, so I'm really pleased with how the week's gone."
But the UAE Tour is also a perfect fit since the two mountain stages only consisted of one major effort. "I know the power has been there; it's about the consistency and putting it together, and I think that's the biggest goal for this year. Even at the Tour mountain TT last year, I know my 20-30 minute power on a one-out effort is up there with everyone, it's about doing it consistently over a whole race".
Plapp is an interesting case of a world-class climber, but one who struggles on multiple-climb stages or stage-races. Last year's Tour de France being a prime example perhaps, as he was absent from the action throughout almost the entire three weeks; but was fifth in the mountain time trial in Peyragudes, only 2 seconds behind podium finisher Florian Lipowitz. Consistency is difficult to reach for some riders, but the 25-year old has that as a big goal for this upcoming season.
"I'll be trying to put it together for a one-week stage race and then hopefully as well, in a Grand Tour, showing that consistency throughout the whole weekend and being able to use my power for when it counts on me, so I am there on GC, and it's not just hunting for stages."
Plapp at the 2025 Clasica San Sebastian
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
- they have no expertise with classics, they have no leaders in classics. the classics is dominated by the few Fuori Classe riders where other riders are left with scraps. the Hiring , the salaries dont make sense at all. Same problem as Man Utd. over paid players, egos, very little performanceabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Arensman is their best rider and he is paid very less in comparisonabstractengineer13-11-2026
- I'm not trying to argue with you but if you didn't see Del Toro struggling in the Tour I'll pay for some glasses for you lol. He struggled so much that Tadej missed winning stage 15, Tadej also dropped the pace along some stages to help Del Toro hold onto the podium. Now he may have been sick, that is a possibility, but he definitely struggled. You have a nice weekend as well brother.awp13-11-2026
- Im not copmaring him to jonas palmares...but current level of power and again like you even pointed out 19sec difference and on other ocassions del toro dropping him. Its evidently their close and based on both their different trajectory its self explanatory...where we are next year.And Del Toro didnt struggle if getting a podium in his first TDF at 22 year old is struggling you sure dont know how to be objective haha. But have a good weekend this is so dumb to discuss as its not even a discussin in reality as facts speak for themselves of what were actually speaking of - and self explanatory.miguel13-11-2026
- fingers crossed. my son has a poster of wout and mathieu battling each other at the beach at ostend up in his room. would be great to see them again there!Ketterechts13-11-2026
- This Giro is very strange in it's circular route. If you were to have stage starting in Trieste and ending atop Monte Zoncolan (end stage 20) you'd get a stage only 145 km long
Rafionain-Glas13-11-2026 - When Thomas gets the bullet from INEOS he can get a job as a comedian.
Senna196013-11-2026
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