Place Name: Montée De Clausen
Address: Montée De Clausen, 2158 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Details: September 17, 2025
The Skoda Tour de Luxembourg is the final tune-up for anyone looking to be competitive in the World Championship Road Race. The last day falls on the World's ITT, one week before the Road Race which is just about perfect preparation. Luxembourg isn't a particularly large country and even though the 153KM Stage 1 starts and finishes in the city of Luxembourg, most of the country will have been visited before the finish. There are four categorized climbs throughout the day, all between 2KM and 3.5KM long and average 7%-9%. There is a bonus sprint with seconds available in Mertzig with 51KM to go atop a 600M rise at over 9%. A few more steep punches await before the last climb categorized climb. Rising away from the Alzette River out of the town of Walferdange, the Côte de Stafelter is 2.2KM long at 7.2%. The top comes just under 10KM to go and will certainly be an opportunity to get rid of any fast men still left in the bunch. The finish is one suited to the puncheur with the last 500M at nearly 9%. The GC guys will have to pay attention because there will be time gaps today if their positioning is poor coming into the finale.
A stiff wind and an aggressive start eventually saw six riders form the break of the day. The group consisted of Andrea Pietrobon of Polti-VisitMalta, Quentin Bezza of Wagner-Bazin WB, André Carvalho of Efapel, Malte Hellerup of ColoQuick, and Mats Berns and Mil Morang of the Luxembourg National Team. They had 2 minutes 15 seconds with 77KM to go and Tudor Pro Cycling chasing with EF-Education EasyPost, Lidl-Trek, and Groupama-FDJ. Hellerup had taken the first two KOM's and was bouncing and ready to grab the points atop the Côte de Eschdorf. He sprang out of the break but was followed by the quicker rider, Morang, who beat Hellerup to the top by half bike length.
The break continued on with their 2 minute lead and were able to sweep up the bonus seconds in Mertzig with Pietrobon leading the way. Pietrobon proved to be the strongest in the break when he put on a hard pace up an uncategorized ramp at over 9%. Only Morang was able to stay with him and the pair went off together with 32KM to go and 90 seconds still on the peloton.
The gap ticked down second by second and when the bunch accelerated to position themselves going into Côte de Stafelter with 12KM to go, the gap was just 15 seconds. EF-Education EasyPost worked all day and led on to the climb. Pietrobon and Morang were caught as the gradients started to bite with 11KM to go. Efapel was the first team to make a move with Tiago Antunes but it didn't last long. UAE-XRG, who were quietly sitting in the peloton for much of the day, came to the front and strung out the bunch. 600M from the top, Richard Carapaz of EF-Education EasyPost struck out for glory. It was covered immediately and countered by Pepijn Reinderink of Soudal Quickstep. There was no daylight between any of the riders at the top however and at least 50% of peloton was still together.
The tactic shifted from attacking to positioning with the uphill sprint now as the likely outcome. Groupama-FDJ was best placed and led the bunch through the more urban areas coming into Luxembourg. The French squad tucked themselves behind Tudor Pro Cycling with EF-Education EasyPost ever-present at the front. Alpecin-Deceuninck came forward with a rider at 600M to go for Tibor Del Grosso who was sitting in sixth wheel behind Marc Hirschi of Tudor Pro Cycling. It was Romain Grégoire of Groupama-FDJ that hit out first with Marijn van den Berg of EF-Education EasyPost and Hirschi behind him. Grégoire looked to fade on multiple occasions and with 100M to go, it seemed as though van den Berg was going to make his run but Grégoire got another burst of energy and powered to the line to take the win. Van den Berg was next home with his face etched with pain. Hirschi was third, about three bike lengths back from van den Berg but on the same time. The Frenchman continued his run of form from the Tour of Britain and now leads the GC here in Luxembourg.
Tags: Tour de Luxembourg, 2025, September, Stage 1, Tour de Luxembourg 2025, Luxembourg, Andrea Pietrobon, Quentin Bezza, André Carvalho, Malte Hellerup, Mats Berns, Mil Morang, Tiago Antunes, Richard Carapaz, Pepijn Reinderink, Marc Hirschi, Romain Grégoire, Marijn van den Berg