While the cyclocross riders battled for the national titles in the field this past weekend, Mathieu van der Poel has already been soaking up the Spanish sun for a week. The Dutchman is in Spain to prepare under optimal conditions for the Cyclocross World Championships and, in particular, his road season.
It’s clear that Van der Poel is serious about it, judging by his training rides in Spain. The seven-time cyclocross world champion—who will contest an eighth world title in Hulst in less than three weeks—spent more than five and a half hours on the bike today. Covering just over 214 kilometers at an average speed of 38.5 km/h, including 2,920 meters of elevation gain along the way.
The leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck will log many more training rides in his beloved Spain and will only return to cyclocross on 24 January at the World Cup in Maasmechelen—unless the World Cup in Benidorm (18 January) is added to his program.
Screenshot: Instagram Mathieu van der Poel
Endurance and Interval Training
"I’m glad I can train away from the hustle and bustle," Van der Poel told us after his win in the Zonhoven World Cup. "It’s good to get back to the sun." According to him, this is truly necessary. "You always need those extra hours after such a busy period with many cyclocross races. On one hand, I’m really working towards the Cyclocross World Championships in Hulst (on 1 February, ed.). That remains a major goal."
On the other hand, Van der Poel also has to look ahead. The all-rounder has repeatedly stated that during winter he doesn’t focus heavily on winning cyclocross races but rather on being able to keep Tadej Pogacar at bay in the spring classics. "Of course, many endurance sessions will be part of my schedule with the spring in mind. I’ll put in a lot of hours, with necessary rest breaks here and there."
