Mathieu van der Poel will use the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg as his final competition before the World Championships road race in Montréal.
The five-day race starts Wednesday and gives Van der Poel a familiar platform before travelling to Canada. He followed a similar path before the Zürich World Championships, where he claimed bronze behind Tadej Pogačar and Ben O’Connor.
Tour de Luxembourg offers familiar final tune-up
Van der Poel’s previous Luxembourg appearance strongly shaped his decision to return. He won the opening stage, came close to further victories, and finished second overall behind Antonio Tiberi.
He later said those days in Luxembourg proved ideal before Zürich. Van der Poel described the race as “a very good final preparation” for the World Championships that followed.
This year’s build-up has taken a different route from many of his expected rivals. Several contenders have prepared in Canada at the GP Québec and GP Montréal. Van der Poel instead spent part of his late-summer programme on mountain biking.
That off-road block ended at the cross-country World Championships in Val di Sole in late August. Van der Poel finished 30th there before turning his focus back to the road.
Luxembourg will therefore mark his first road race since the final stage of the Tour de France. He ended that July campaign with a high-profile victory on the Champs Élysées.
Race rhythm the priority before Canada
Van der Poel has made clear that preparation will matter more than chasing the overall classification. He wants competitive kilometres and the sharpness that only racing can provide.
After his mountain bike block, Van der Poel said he could use road race rhythm before the Worlds in Canada. The Tour de Luxembourg gives him five consecutive days to rebuild that timing.
The terrain should still offer chances for an aggressive rider. Luxembourg often rewards positioning, punch, and opportunism, all qualities that suit Van der Poel when he races freely.
He has not ruled out trying to win if the race presents the right opening. Van der Poel said a stage victory would be “a nice bonus” and could add confidence before Canada.
That balance will define his week. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider can test his road legs without needing to carry a full general classification campaign into the weekend.
World title target awaits in Montréal
The larger objective arrives on September 27 in Montréal. Van der Poel will target a second elite men’s road race world title after winning the rainbow jersey in Glasgow in 2023.
The contest has also changed with Tadej Pogačar ruled out. The defending champion and overwhelming favourite had represented a major obstacle in the fight for the rainbow jersey.
His absence opens the race considerably, although Montréal still promises a demanding championship. Van der Poel’s blend of endurance, power, and technical skill should keep him central to the discussion.
For now, the focus remains on Luxembourg. Van der Poel knows the route into Worlds can work because it has already delivered a podium once.
If the same structure brings race rhythm and confidence again, Luxembourg may prove more than a warm-up. It could become the launchpad for another rainbow jersey bid.
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