Crazy feat by Van der Poel: 174 km in a solo breakaway at the Tour de Luxembourg

It's not often that Mathieu van der Poel manages to impress, given the stratospheric level he's reached in his career. Yet the Alpecin-Premier Tech phenomenon pulled off yet another science-fiction feat in the final stage of the Tour de Luxembourg, putting on a spectacle that will go down in the annals of cycling.

While Davide Piganzoli (Visma-Lease a Bike) took home the general classification, all the spotlight inevitably fell on Van der Poel, author of one of the longest solo breakaways ever seen in professional cycling.

Over a 177-kilometer stage, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider covered 174 kilometers completely alone , leading the race from start to finish. A display of strength and determination that leaves little doubt about his current condition.

Van der Poel is using this stage race as a launch pad for next week’s World Championships road race, and on Sunday he literally took center stage, attacking at kilometer three and not seeing any rivals until more than four hours later, when he crossed the finish line.

On a hilly course with more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain, the Dutchman built up a lead of over five minutes, incredibly managing to maintain it until the end and finishing with a margin of over a minute over the rest of the group.

For fantasy cycling, this performance is a powerful sign ahead of the World Championships : Van der Poel arrives at the World Championships in extraordinary condition, capable of sustaining ridiculous paces even alone on challenging courses. Those who have him on their team for the road race can rest easy, while their opponents will have to contend with a phenomenon who seems to know no bounds when he decides to attack from afar.