Wout Poels Achieves Dream with Stage 15 Victory at Tour de France
Dutch cyclist Wout Poels fulfilled his long-held dream of winning a stage at the Tour de France, as he secured his maiden Grand Tour stage victory on the challenging Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc climb. This triumph adds to Poels’ impressive cycling resume, which already includes a monumental win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2016.
Poels, who was part of a breakaway group that included teammate Mikel Landa and over 30 other riders, made his move with around 50km remaining. He followed the lead of Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and seized the opportunity created by an earlier attack from Marc Soler (UAE). As the trio approached the penultimate climb, Côtes des Amerands, Poels launched his attack, leaving Van Aert behind and soloing to a well-deserved victory. This win marks the second stage triumph for Team Bahrain Victorious in this year’s Tour de France.
In disbelief, Poels expressed his excitement, saying, “I always dreamed to win a stage at the Tour. I’ve had great memories at this race; this is my tenth. I’ve always worked for people, so it’s incredible to have my chance and achieve this dream.” Reflecting on his race strategy, Poels highlighted the importance of following the right moves, stating, “When I saw Van Aert following Soler on the downhill, I knew that was my ticket.”
The challenging nature of the stage added to Poels’ satisfaction. “I wanted to enjoy it in the last kilometer, but it was really steep, so I really kept going to the line, and what a hard stage to win,” he shared. Poels also mentioned that this victory held a special significance for the team, as they have experienced a range of emotions over the past month. Poels dedicated the win to Gino, likely referring to Gino Mäder, his teammate who recently left the Tour due to illness.
With this remarkable victory, Wout Poels has added another milestone to his cycling career, further strengthening his reputation as a top contender in the sport.
