Wout Poels

Wout Poels
Poels at the 2018 Tour of Britain
Personal information
Full nameWouter Lambertus Martinus Henricus Poels
Born (1987-10-01) 1 October 1987 (age 39)
Venray, Limburg, the Netherlands
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight66 kg (146 lb; 10 st 6 lb)
Cycling career
SportCycling
Current teamUnibet Rose Rockets
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClimber
Super-domestique
Professional teams
2006–2008Fondas-P3Transfer Team
2009–2013Vacansoleil
2014Omega Pharma–Quick-Step
2015–2019Team Sky
2020–2024Bahrain–McLaren
2025XDS Astana Team
2026–Unibet Rose Rockets
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (2023)
Vuelta a España
2 individual stages (2011, 2023)

Stage races

Vuelta a Andalucía (2022)
Tour of Turkey (2025)

One-day races and Classics

Liège–Bastogne–Liège (2016)

Wouter Lambertus Martinus Henricus Poels (born 1 October 1987) is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, who rides for UCI ProTeam Unibet Rose Rockets.

Career

Poels was born in Venray. He almost lost a kidney after a massive crash on the sixth stage of the 2012 Tour de France.

After competing with the Vacansoleil–DCM squad since 2009, Poels moved to the Omega Pharma–Quick-Step squad for the 2014 season.

Team Sky (2015–19)

In September 2014, Team Sky announced that Poels would join them from 1 January 2015. His first win for the team came in the 2015 Tirreno–Adriatico, where he led the team following the withdrawal of Chris Froome. Poels won stage 4 into Castelraimondo with an attack on the final climb and a solo descent to the finish line. He moved into the lead of the race and went on to finish seventh in the overall standings. He later finished second overall at the Tour of Britain, winning the toughest mountain stage with an uphill finish on Hartside Fell.

In 2016, Poels won his first one-day race after sprinting to victory from a four-man group in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. It was the first monument for Team Sky and for Poels himself.

Bahrain–McLaren (2020–2024)

In September 2019, Poels announced that he was joining the Bahrain–Merida team, later renamed as Bahrain–McLaren, for the 2020 season. In his first season with the team, Poels finished sixth overall at the Vuelta a España. The following year, he held the polka-dot jersey for four days at the 2021 Tour de France, and recorded his best finish at the race to that point – sixteenth overall. In 2022, Poels won the penultimate stage and the general classification at the Vuelta a Andalucía, his first overall stage race win since 2016. Poels then won his first Tour de France stage in 2023; having been part of a large breakaway on stage fifteen, Poels and three other riders went clear following the Col des Aravis, with Poels soloing away on the final climb towards Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and he ultimately won the stage by more than two minutes.

XDS Astana (2025)

Poels joined XDS Astana Team for the 2025 season. His standout result for the season was winning Presidential Tour of Turkey general classification, mountain jersey and victory in stage 4.

Unibet Rose Rockets (2026-current)

After only a season with Astana, Poels leave the team and joined Unibet Rose Rockets at the start of 2026 season.

Major results

Poels at the 2023 Tour de France, where he won stage 15 of the race

Source:

2007
10th Overall Vuelta a Extremadura
1st Mountains classification
2008
1st Overall Vuelta Ciclista a León
3rd Overall Volta a Lleida
3rd Rund um Düren
9th Overall Circuit des Ardennes
2010 (2 pro wins)
1st Stage 4 Tour of Britain
2nd Overall Tour de l'Ain
1st Stage 4
8th Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
9th Eschborn–Frankfurt City Loop
2011 (1)
1st Stage 15 Vuelta a España
2nd Overall Tour de l'Ain
1st Stage 3
3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen
1st Young rider classification
3rd Overall Vuelta a Murcia
4th Overall Tour de Pologne
2012 (1)
2nd Overall Tour de Luxembourg
1st Young rider classification
1st Stage 3
3rd Overall Vuelta a Murcia
8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Young rider classification
2013 (1)
7th Amstel Curaçao Race
8th Overall Tour de l'Ain
1st Stage 4
9th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
10th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
2014 (1)
1st Stage 1 (TTT) Tirreno–Adriatico
9th Strade Bianche
10th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
1st Stage 4
2015 (2)
2nd Overall Tour of Britain
1st Stage 5
3rd Overall Abu Dhabi Tour
5th Milano–Torino
7th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 4
8th Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
8th GP Ouest-France
2016 (6)
1st Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
1st Points classification
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 4
1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1st Stage 5 Volta a Catalunya
1st Stage 6 Tour of Britain
4th La Flèche Wallonne
7th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
2017 (1)
3rd Overall Tour de Pologne
1st Stage 7
4th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
4th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
6th Overall Vuelta a España
6th Milano–Torino
7th Overall Tour of Guangxi
2018 (3)
1st Stage 4 (ITT) Paris–Nice
2nd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
1st Points classification
1st Stage 2
2nd Overall Tour of Britain
1st Stage 6
2019 (1)
3rd Overall Tour Down Under
3rd Overall Volta ao Algarve
4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
1st Stage 7
7th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2020
6th Overall Vuelta a España
6th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
Combativity award Stage 5 Tour de France
2021
4th Overall Tour de la Provence
Tour de France
Held after Stages 8 & 15–17
Combativity award Stage 8
2022 (2)
1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
1st Stage 4
2023 (2)
1st Stage 15 Tour de France
1st Stage 20 Vuelta a España
6th Overall UAE Tour
9th Overall Tour of Slovenia
2024 (1)
3rd Overall Tour de Hongrie
1st Stage 5
6th Overall Tour of the Alps
2025 (2)
1st Overall Tour of Turkey
1st Mountains classification
1st Stage 4
7th Overall Tour of Oman
2026
4th Overall Sibiu Cycling Tour
7th Overall Arctic Race of Norway

General classification results timeline

Poels leading a group of riders at the 2018 Giro d'Italia; he finished twelfth overall, his best finish at the race.
Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Giro d'Italia — — — 21 — — — 12 — — — 34 — — 50 22
Tour de France DNF DNF 28 — 44 28 — 58 26 110 16 — 27 43 — —
Vuelta a España 17 — DNF 38 — — 6 — 34 6 23 DNF 15 — 23
Major stage race general classification results
Stage races 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Paris–Nice — — — — — — — DNF — — — 15 27 — — —
Tirreno–Adriatico 18 8 10 38 7 14 — — 7 — — — — 11 DNF —
Volta a Catalunya — — — — 24 34 — — — NH 79 DNF 29 11 18 —
Tour of the Basque Country 39 17 9 10 — — — — — — — — — — —
Tour de Romandie — — DNF — — — — — — — — — — — —
Critérium du Dauphiné — — 57 — 39 25 — — 4 — — — — — — —
Tour de Suisse 25 15 — — — — — — — NH 31 — — 16 — —

Classics results timeline

Monument 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Milan–San Remo — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 119
Tour of Flanders — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Paris–Roubaix — — — — — — — — — — — NH — — — — — —
Liège–Bastogne–Liège — — DNF 76 — 80 — 1 — 117 10 87 109 38 42 30 — —
Giro di Lombardia 119 — DNF — — DNF 12 DNF 38 — — — — DNF — 105 —
Classic 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne — — — NH — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Strade Bianche — — — — — 9 — — — — — — — — — — — 44
E3 Harelbeke — — — — — — — — — — — NH — — — — — —
Dwars door Vlaanderen — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Amstel Gold Race — 106 DNF DNF — 118 DNF 41 — DNF 108 58 — 22 — — —
La Flèche Wallonne DNF — 32 15 113 12 DNF 4 — 64 22 16 22 25 47 — — —
Clásica de San Sebastián — — — — 15 — — — — — DNF NH — DNF — — —
Legend
— Did not compete
DNF Did not finish
IP In progress
NH Not held

References

  1. 1 2 "Super-domestiques: Five unsung heroes of the Tour de France". 21 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Team Sky". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 Farrand, Stephen (18 September 2019). "Wout Poels leaves Team Ineos for leadership role at Bahrain-Merida". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc.
  4. ↑ "Bahrain Victorious". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 1 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Poels optimistic about return to racing in 2013". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  6. ↑ Atkins, Ben (3 January 2012). "Vacansoleil-DCM presented with twelve new riders for 2012". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC.
  7. ↑ "OPQS Signs Wout Poels and Janier Acevedo". Omega Pharma–Quick-Step. Decolef. 1 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Team Sky sign Leopold König, Nicolas Roche, Wout Poels, Andy Fenn, Lars Petter Nordhaug". skysports.com. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  9. ↑ O'Shea, Sadhbh (15 March 2015). "Tirreno-Adriatico: Poels wins in Castelraimondo". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Tirreno-Adriatico: Quintana wins overall". Cyclingnews.com. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Poels wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege". Cyclingnews.com. 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Wout Poels (Wins)". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Puddicombe, Stephen (9 November 2020). "Vuelta a España 2020 ratings: how did each team perform?". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 23 August 2023. After losing time on both the opening two stages in the Basque Country, Wout Poels slowly but surely climbed up the rankings, eventually reaching sixth by the end of the second week and remaining there until Madrid.
  14. ↑ Goddard, Ben (19 February 2022). "Wout Poels wins stage 4 of Ruta del Sol". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Goddard, Ben (20 February 2022). "Kämna wins final stage of Ruta del Sol". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Poels ends drought by winning Tour of Andalusia". SuperSport. Agence France-Presse. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Ostanek, Daniel (16 July 2023). "Tour de France: Wout Poels blasts to blockbuster stage 15 solo victory". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Poels, better late than never". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. 16 July 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  19. ↑ Weislo, Laura (19 August 2024). "Wout Poels joins Astana Qazaqstan". Cyclingnews. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Boermans, Hendrik (23 October 2025). "#Whereiswout? Wout Poels leaves XDS-Astana after one season and ends career with Bas Tietema's Rockets". IDLprocycling.com. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Wout Poels". FirstCycling.com. FirstCycling AS. Retrieved 23 August 2023.