The Classics specialist and five-time cyclocross world champion is the first Dutchman to win the rainbow jersey in the road race since Joop Zoetemelk in 1985.
"Maybe this completes my career in my opinion, it's maybe my biggest victory on the road and I cannot imagine riding in the rainbows for a year," Van der Poel said.
Heavy rain provided another twist and Van der Poel might have paid for his late spill but, with a rainbow arced over the city, he closed in on the rainbow jersey.
I was pretty pissed at myself," Van der Poel said.
When Van der Poel powered up the steep Montrose Road climb for the final time he could finally enjoy ending the long Dutch wait for a road world champion.
Persons:
Mathieu van der, Maja, Van der Poel, Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej, Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, slithered, Joop Zoetemelk, Belgium's Van Aert, Pogacar outsprinting Pedersen, Raymond Poulidor, Alberto Bettiol, Van der, Van Aert, Pedersen, Martyn Herman, Ed Osmond, Clare Fallon
Organizations:
Cycling, UCI, Sunday, de, Police, Glasgow, Thomson
Locations:
Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, Netherlands, GLASGOW, Square, Espana, Edinburgh, Glasgow's, Montrose