#Stage5 – (Mersch – Luxembourg)

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) won the 84th edition of the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg. On the final stage, spanning 176.9 km between Mersch and Luxembourg-Limpertsberg, his fourth place, 3 seconds behind stage winner David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), was enough to snatch the overall victory from world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Right from the start, the riders went full throttle. A breakaway group of 19 riders formed shortly after, including top contenders van der Poel and Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates). Attacks were frequent, with van der Poel, the overall leader, even riding alone at the front at one point.

After about 60 km, the race calmed down. The leading group, including van der Poel and Hirschi, was caught, and three riders broke away: Archie Ryan (Education – Easypost), Lorenzo Milesi (Movistar), and Johannes Staune-Mittet (Team Visma – Lease a Bike), gaining nearly three minutes. However, in the final 30 km, as they tackled the closing circuit with the steep Pabeierbierg climb three times, they too stood no chance.

It was in the final lap that a decisive group, featuring Gaudu, Tiberi, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), managed to break away and were not caught before the finish. Van der Poel ended up finishing sixth, 29 seconds behind, and had to settle for second place overall, 15 seconds back. Gaudu finished third overall, just 16 seconds behind.

David Gaudu: “I didn’t win last season, and only once this year. That’s why the last year and a half has been tough. Winning is the best feeling a rider can experience. At the start of the stage, all the overall favorites were in the breakaway group, including me. In the end, it was about waiting and being well-positioned. I wanted to have a small lead before the last climb. Luckily, everything worked out.”

Antonio Tiberi: “It’s amazing to take the overall win. I’m really happy. From the first day, I knew I was in good shape. After finishing second in the time trial, I realized the overall victory was within reach. Luckily, everything worked out. We knew it would be a tough stage with many attacks. I was also in the big breakaway group at the start. Then I waited for the final lap.”

Mathieu van der Poel: “It’s a real shame. Since stage two, I’ve had just two teammates with me, and that became evident today. I could have used some help in the final. I had the legs to win, but it’s hard to do it alone. Still, I’m happy because I felt good. I’m satisfied with this race because my sensations were really great.”