🎥 Trying to keep up with van der Poel in Trouée d'Arenberg? This influencer learned it’s far from easy

What professional cyclists do can sometimes seem so easy. When you watch the race on TV, they don't appear to struggle to maintain a high speed. Even the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix sometimes seem effortless, but anyone who has ridden a few meters on those cobblestones knows why the race is called Hell of the North. An amateur cyclist experienced this firsthand when he tried to follow Mathieu van der Poel in the Trouée d'Arenberg.

Van der Poel had already shared images of his recon of Paris-Roubaix. He flew over the cobblestones with his team, even though he had a flat tire once. It did not spoil the fun because the weather was fantastic in the north of France, and he seemed to be back in form after his illness before, after, and during the Tour of Flanders. The Dutch rider is ready to defend his title. On Sunday, he can become the third rider in history to win the race for a third year in a row, after Octave Lapize and Francesco Moser.

They are true specialists, but van der Poel is one of those, too. His riding skills place him among the absolute elite of the peloton, and his power on the cobblestones is also incredibly impressive. Artem Shcherbyna, a Ukrainian cycling influencer, also experienced this. The amateur cyclist is known for his training rides with professionals: in January, he was also seen on the wheel of Van der Poel, and during his recon of Paris-Roubaix, he was also allowed to ride on the wheel of the defending champion.

Read more below the photo!

Back in January, the influencer was dropped by Mathieu van der Poel.

Images from Trouée d'Arenberg: bouncing, sliding, and a heartbeat of 180

He rode through the forest of Wallers, where Van der Poel rode at an unprecedented speed last year. During the reconnaissance for this edition, things were a bit calmer, but not for the influencer. He was on the wheel with a heart rate of 180, and the GoPro clearly shows how much the rider is actually bouncing over the cobblestones. It is a terribly unpleasant sight, but Van der Poel seems to be flying over the rough surface.

Watch footage of Mathieu van der Poel's recon here:

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