Pat Poels

Pat Poels is a retired Dutch professional cyclist, known for his climbing abilities and contributions as a domestique for various teams. He was born on February 15, 1987, in Swolgen, Netherlands.

Poels began his professional cycling career in 2009 with Vacansoleil-DCM. He subsequently rode for teams such as Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Team Sky (later Team Ineos and Ineos Grenadiers), and Bahrain Victorious.

Throughout his career, Poels primarily served as a support rider, particularly in mountainous terrain, assisting team leaders in Grand Tours and other stage races. Despite focusing on team support, he achieved notable individual results, including a stage win in the 2016 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and overall victory in the 2016 Volta a Catalunya. His most significant victory came at the 2023 Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Poels' contributions to Team Sky/Ineos were particularly noteworthy, where he played a key role in helping Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Egan Bernal achieve Grand Tour victories. He was renowned for his climbing prowess and his ability to pace team leaders up challenging ascents.

After many years riding for other riders, Poels gained additional opportunity to ride for himself, resulting in his 2023 Liege-Bastogne-Liege victory.

Poels retired from professional cycling at the end of the 2024 season.