"That is the main goal..." - Mathieu van der Poel's Luxembourg presence is not by chance, but a successful formula
CyclingWednesday, 16 September 2026 at 12:46
Unlike any other main contender for the upcoming World Championships, Mathieu van der Poel is using the Tour de Luxembourg as preparation for it. But this choice was not made by chance, but is instead part of a carefully thought out plan that had previously been used by van der Poel.
“I have good memories of the Tour de Luxembourg from two years ago,” the Dutchman said ahead of the race. At that time, he finished second in the overall classification, but won a stage and carried good form into the Zurich World Championships.
"I won a stage, came close a few more times and finished second overall. More importantly, I had a good World Championships in Zürich afterwards, which showed that this race was a very good final preparation.”
That year, he finished third in Switzerland, in a course that featured similar difficulty to that which will be faced by the riders within two weeks in Montréal.
For both these World Championships events, climbing ability is an absolutely crucial focal point. Van der Poel, a puncheur and classics specialist, is on the more explosive and heavier side of the scale when it comes to the main favourites for the rainbow jersey.
Whilst the absence of Tadej Pogacar opens up more space, van der Poel will still require his very best climbing form, and likely a lower body weight than usual to contest for the big win.
The five-day stage-race, featuring one time trial and four very explosive hilly days, will then serve as the Dutchman's final building block ahead of Montréal.
Mathieu van der Poel won a stage at the recent Tour de France
The ideal preparation for the World Championships?
Most riders have had an altitude training camp and have raced the Canadian classics this past weekend. Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro and Remco Evenepoel are all clear examples of such.
Some have come from the Vuelta a España, such as Wout Van Aert; but also potential danger men such as Enric Mas, Primoz Roglic, Richard Carapaz and Oscar Onley.
Tom Pidcock is perhaps the other exception, having - like van der Poel - prepared for the MTB World Championships, which he won. Before making the trip to Canada, Pidcock also won the GP Industria & Artigianato.
Van der Poel is racing only the Tour de Luxembourg. “I feel it can serve the same purpose this year ahead of the Worlds in Canada".
"After my mountain bike block, I can definitely use some race rhythm and competitive kilometres on the road. That is the main goal for me here.”
Van der Poel the undisputed leader for the Netherlands
With the likes of Bart Lemmen and Bauke Mollema as his main supporters for the Worlds, van der Poel will not be sharing leadership, and will be the Netherlands' sole hope for the rainbow jersey. But this will depend a lot on the form that he shows in Luxembourg this week, with a modest field racing alongside him.
“Of course, if there is an opportunity to fight for a stage win, I will take it. A victory would be a nice bonus and could also give me some extra confidence before travelling to Canada," he concluded.
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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