No races, no bike? How top cyclists handle the winter: "Sometimes the best thing is to really put it away"

After the Italian autumn races and the Chinese WorldTour finale in Guangxi, most cyclists take a break. They have a vacation, but they all approach it differently. New hobbies come to light, drinks are shared, good food is enjoyed, or there's intense running involved. But what actually happens to the bike?

The Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad investigated the matter, including a chat with Tiesj Benoot. The Belgian Visma | Lease a Bike rider explained in the Belgian show De Ideale Wereld how important it is, at least for him, to completely step away from the bike. "I don't ride for about four weeks. When you ride for eleven months a year, it's really necessary to regain that desire to get back on the bike."

Read more below the photo.

  Tiesj Benoot fully immersed himself in running last winter

While Van der Poel and Van Aert might choose the cyclocross route, for Benoot, real distraction is the best option

You could almost say the bike becomes a kind of addiction. No races logically means no bike for a while. Without that stimulus, the cyclist in Benoot takes a break too. "It is still my hobby, but to really feel motivated again, I try to stay away from it for a bit." The Belgian chooses to travel with his family, followed by a hiking vacation.

But not everyone is as disciplined in seeking distraction. Last winter, Geraint Thomas admitted to spending a lot of time in the pub. And it didn’t seem to hurt — he impressively finished third in the Giro. For other riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, filling the winter is much easier. They can dive into cyclocross whenever they want. For the rest of the peloton, a well-deserved vacation awaits, at least until early December.

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📸 What do you mean, off-season? Van der Poel plays (in rainbow jersey) on gravel, Van Aert over 100 km with ease