Tour de Luxembourg 2026 Stage 2: Marijn van den Berg Denies Mathieu van der Poel in Uphill Sprint and Takes Leader’s Jersey
Marijn van den Berg produced a powerful finish to win Stage 2 of the 2026 Škoda Tour de Luxembourg, beating Mathieu van der Poel in the uphill sprint to Junglinster and taking control of the overall classification.
The Dutch rider, representing EF Education-EasyPost, delivered a much different result from the opening stage, where he finished third behind Van der Poel and Pierre Gautherat. This time, Van den Berg timed his effort perfectly and had enough speed to beat the defending stage winner at the line.
Stage 2 covered 166.8 kilometres from Differdange/Niederkorn to Junglinster. Although it was considered the most favourable stage of the race for the sprinters, the route still included several climbs and a demanding final circuit.
Van der Poel entered the stage wearing the leader’s jersey after his impressive victory on Wednesday. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider had returned to road racing after nearly two months away and immediately made his presence felt by winning Stage 1 in an uphill sprint.
However, Stage 2 presented a different challenge. The final kilometres around Junglinster offered a slightly uphill run towards the finish, creating an ideal opportunity for riders with both sprinting power and the ability to handle the rises.
Van den Berg took advantage.
The EF Education-EasyPost sprinter stayed in contention through the demanding sections before producing the decisive acceleration in the closing sprint. Van der Poel was unable to repeat his Stage 1 victory, while Van den Berg crossed the line first.
The victory also had a major consequence for the general classification. Having started the day six seconds behind Van der Poel following his third-place finish on Stage 1, Van den Berg moved into the overall leader’s jersey after the second stage.
The result represents an important turnaround for Van den Berg, who had already shown his ability to survive the difficult finale on the opening day. Stage 2’s route was more suited to his sprinting characteristics, and he converted that opportunity into a significant victory.
Van der Poel, meanwhile, remains one of the central figures of the race. His opening-stage victory had already demonstrated his form ahead of the 2026 World Championships in Montréal later this month. He had deliberately chosen Luxembourg as part of his preparation for the road world championships, seeking high-intensity racing after focusing heavily on endurance training.
The Stage 2 result also sets up an intriguing battle for the remainder of the five-day race. The third stage from Wiltz to Diekirch is considerably harder, with a demanding series of climbs in the finale, while Stage 4 is a 20.4-kilometre individual time trial. Stage 5 then finishes the race with another hilly route from Mersch to Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.
With the leader’s jersey now changing hands, Van den Berg has given EF Education-EasyPost a major boost and put himself firmly into the overall picture.
For Van der Poel, the defeat does not erase the impression made on Stage 1. Instead, the race now moves into its more demanding stages, where the Dutch world-class rider will have further opportunities to fight for stage victories and the overall classification.
Stage 2 result: Marijn van den Berg takes the win, with Mathieu van der Poel beaten in the uphill sprint and the overall leader’s jersey changing hands.
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