Gesink and Van Aert push hard in Spain: "I've got an illness, and it's a very specific one"

Both riders may be pursuing different goals these days, but neither can resist the 'sweet suffering' of cycling. For Wout van Aert, though, it seems to be a different kind of struggle, while Robert Gesink was surrounded by good company.

"I’ve got an illness, and it’s a very specific one," Van Aert captioned his ride on Strava (in Dutch). What exactly this illness is remains unclear. Is it the cyclo-cross bug, racing fever, or perhaps a nod to the 'rat sickness' from his attempt at the Col des Rates? Or is the Belgian genuinely under the weather?

Earlier this year, Van Aert’s Strava post with a squirrel emoji hinted at something similar, referencing his appearance on The Masked Singer in Belgium. What's he hinting at this time? Tackling a ride with three mountain climbs and 1800 meters of elevation while feeling sick is far from wise. Could it really be the cyclo-cross bug?

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Gesink has "bad-decisions syndrome"

Speaking of bad decisions, Gesink has only been in cycling retirement for a few months, and the bad decisions are already starting to surface. First a 'Sepp's Sufferfest Sunday' and now a tough gravel ride. The well-known black hole after a cycling career? 

Just kidding, of course, because this bad idea came with a wink. "Bad decisions, best stories," Gesink wrote on his Instagram. "152km of gravel from Velodrom Barcelona to Hors Catégorie Girona (a restaurant, ed.) was long and hard but good company and great beers & burgers made up for it! Thanks family!" By the looks of it, Gesink is thoroughly enjoying his cycling retirement. And fair is fair: when bad decisions produce such great stories, and have such wonderful outcomes... Keep them coming!