The Secret Superpower of Neilson Powless, the Best American in the Mountains Classification at This Year’s Tour de France

Skinny climbers aren’t supposed to win sprint photo finishes. Especially climbers who’ve been caught eight kilometers from the line. Gassed. Matches burned. Bullets spent. All the cycling cliches apply when you’ve cracked on a solo attack. In this case, the catch came near the top of the Murgil-Tontorra—one of the sharpest climbs in Spain’s Basque Country and the final ramp in the lumpy Clásica San Sebastián, a one-day race that’s been won by the likes of Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert, Julian Alaphilippe, and even Lance Armstrong. But that’s where Neilson Powless found himself at the end of the 223.5 kilometers on July 31, 2021. A handful of superior (at least on paper) riders had reeled in the then 24-year-old American—a virtual unknown in the UCI World Tour peloton—just before he’d crested the climb. Though Powless would hang tough on the twisty, rain-soaked descent, avoiding a crash that took down two other riders, his chances of outsprinting the remainder of the winning break seemed nonexistent, especially when one of those riders—Matej Mohorič of Team Bahrain Victorious—was fresh off double stage wins at the recent Tour de France. Mohorič must have sensed this, because the Slovenian led the trio out with 500 meters to go. Powless slotted himself into second on Mohorič’s wheel, as if that were the best place he could hope for at that point. With only meters left, Powless stood out of the saddle, as if rising from the dead, swerved to his right, and stomped on the pedals, his hot pink EF Education kit and matching POC helmet cutting through the murky downpour as he stormed for the line after some five and a half hours of racing. When the dust settled, Powless had won by half a wheel length, and as he rolled to a stop he pumped his fist—partially in celebration, partially in disbelief. “I think that’s history in the making,” the TV commentator exclaimed. “That’s an extraordinary story. An American Indian, an Indigenous rider, wins the Clásica San Sebastián!” [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [The Secret Superpower of Neilson Powless, the Best American in the Mountains Classification at This Year’s Tour de France]( [The Secret Superpower of Neilson Powless, the Best American in the Mountains Classification at This Year’s Tour de France]( [The Secret Superpower of Neilson Powless, the Best American in the Mountains Classification at This Year’s Tour de France]( Skinny climbers aren’t supposed to win sprint photo finishes. Especially climbers who’ve been caught eight kilometers from the line. Gassed. Matches burned. Bullets spent. All the cycling cliches apply when you’ve cracked on a solo attack. In this case, the catch came near the top of the Murgil-Tontorra—one of the sharpest climbs in Spain’s Basque Country and the final ramp in the lumpy Clásica San Sebastián, a one-day race that’s been won by the likes of Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert, Julian Alaphilippe, and even Lance Armstrong. But that’s where Neilson Powless found himself at the end of the 223.5 kilometers on July 31, 2021. A handful of superior (at least on paper) riders had reeled in the then 24-year-old American—a virtual unknown in the UCI World Tour peloton—just before he’d crested the climb. Though Powless would hang tough on the twisty, rain-soaked descent, avoiding a crash that took down two other riders, his chances of outsprinting the remainder of the winning break seemed nonexistent, especially when one of those riders—Matej Mohorič of Team Bahrain Victorious—was fresh off double stage wins at the recent Tour de France. Mohorič must have sensed this, because the Slovenian led the trio out with 500 meters to go. Powless slotted himself into second on Mohorič’s wheel, as if that were the best place he could hope for at that point. With only meters left, Powless stood out of the saddle, as if rising from the dead, swerved to his right, and stomped on the pedals, his hot pink EF Education kit and matching POC helmet cutting through the murky downpour as he stormed for the line after some five and a half hours of racing. When the dust settled, Powless had won by half a wheel length, and as he rolled to a stop he pumped his fist—partially in celebration, partially in disbelief. “I think that’s history in the making,” the TV commentator exclaimed. “That’s an extraordinary story. An American Indian, an Indigenous rider, wins the Clásica San Sebastián!” Skinny climbers aren’t supposed to win sprint photo finishes. Especially climbers who’ve been caught eight kilometers from the line. Gassed. Matches burned. Bullets spent. All the cycling cliches apply when you’ve cracked on a solo attack. In this case, the catch came near the top of the Murgil-Tontorra—one of the sharpest climbs in Spain’s Basque Country and the final ramp in the lumpy Clásica San Sebastián, a one-day race that’s been won by the likes of Miguel Indurain, Laurent Jalabert, Julian Alaphilippe, and even Lance Armstrong. But that’s where Neilson Powless found himself at the end of the 223.5 kilometers on July 31, 2021. A handful of superior (at least on paper) riders had reeled in the then 24-year-old American—a virtual unknown in the UCI World Tour peloton—just before he’d crested the climb. Though Powless would hang tough on the twisty, rain-soaked descent, avoiding a crash that took down two other riders, his chances of outsprinting the remainder of the winning break seemed nonexistent, especially when one of those riders—Matej Mohorič of Team Bahrain Victorious—was fresh off double stage wins at the recent Tour de France. Mohorič must have sensed this, because the Slovenian led the trio out with 500 meters to go. Powless slotted himself into second on Mohorič’s wheel, as if that were the best place he could hope for at that point. With only meters left, Powless stood out of the saddle, as if rising from the dead, swerved to his right, and stomped on the pedals, his hot pink EF Education kit and matching POC helmet cutting through the murky downpour as he stormed for the line after some five and a half hours of racing. When the dust settled, Powless had won by half a wheel length, and as he rolled to a stop he pumped his fist—partially in celebration, partially in disbelief. “I think that’s history in the making,” the TV commentator exclaimed. “That’s an extraordinary story. An American Indian, an Indigenous rider, wins the Clásica San Sebastián!” [Read More]( [Read More](   [Results and Highlights From the 2023 Tour de France]( [Results and Highlights From the 2023 Tour de France]( Matej Mohorič edged out Kasper Asgreen for the Stage 19 win. [Read More](     [What Are the Cheapest and Most Expensive Bike at the 2023 Tour de France]( [What Are the Cheapest and Most Expensive Bike at the 2023 Tour de France]( You may think price scales with performance, but is that actually true? 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