Van der Poel wins again, just before the World Championships

The world champion Mathieu van der Poel has been announcing for some time that these could be his last days with the rainbow jersey but he is doing everything in his power to have a chance. And all that work has just shone through with a victory in stage 1 of the Tour de Luxembourg where he appeared thinner than ever.

Van de Poel wins again and serves as a warning for the World Championships

The first stage of the 2024 Tour de Luxembourg was 158km long and featured four climbs that were resolved in a sprint. In the final straight Mathieu van der Poel launched a powerful sprint 300 meters from the finish line that allowed him to beat Christophe Laporte of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Andreas Kron of Lotto Dstny. They finished second and third respectively.

This victory marks Van der Poel's return to winning since he won the Paris-Roubaix in a distant spring. But it has also served as a warning to his rivals for the World Championships in Zurich next Sunday. The Dutchman has appeared in Luxembourg in better shape than all season, he already announced that he had gone on a diet, and with the work to try to defend his rainbow jersey.

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"It's always nice to win the first stage and it's been a while since I could raise my hand," said Van der Poel at the finish line. "Today I enjoyed it. It was a beautiful stage and I look forward to the next stages of the race."