📸 Van der Poel on "interesting altitude training" in Livigno: skiing, supercars, and a helicopter

Mathieu van der Poel needs some rest before the road season begins. Well, rest: The seven-time cyclo-cross world champion headed to the snowy mountain tops after his last title in Liévin to enjoy some skiing. But from the images on Instagram, it is clear that a quiet week is not really an option for the rider of Alpecin-Deceuninck because he likes to keep busy with cool things.

Of course, Van der Poel is taking plenty of time in Livigno to have fun on the slopes. After all, that's why he went to Italy in the first place: to spend a week skiing. The Dutch rider showed off his skills as he effortlessly glided down the slopes. But it wasn't just skiing because there was also cross-country skiing. Tadej Pogacar must be proud: it is common knowledge that the Slovenian world champion is passionate about this winter sport.

But of course, Van der Poel has to indulge in crazy activities because that's how he is. This includes seeing the Glasgow world champion having fun with a Lamborghini in the snow. His girlfriend Roxanne Bertels previously shared images of him racing through the winter scenes. The supercar is not a preferred car to drive in such conditions, but special tires go a long way. A real Après-ski doesn't seem to be on the agenda, which makes sense: it was limited to a cup of coffee and a cookie.

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Self-reward for Van der Poel, but not everyone is in favor

Next, it is also seen that MvdP boarded a helicopter. Was it a lovely tour through the mountains, or was the trip going elsewhere? Who knows, but training buddy and friend Freddy Ovett thought it was weird. "Interesting altitude training," he responded under his friend's post.

The trip to the Italian Alps was a nice reward for a highly successful cyclo-cross winter, topped off with that desirable seventh-world title. With that, the 30-year-old superstar matched the achievements of cyclo-cross legend Erik De Vlaeminck. Taking a break before the road season was necessary for Van der Poel and Thibau Nys did the same. Van der Poel will start his road year in Milan-Sanremo again, but the winter break had been on the schedule for some time. However, not everyone seemed to understand that.

Greg Van Avermaet and Sep Vanmarcke, among others, thought the risk might be too great. "As a spring rider, it's not advisable anyway," the former Paris-Roubaix winner said at the time. His compatriot adds, "And apart from that, it is not appreciated among many teams. However, you notice that the top riders are always allowed more and that the mentality has changed. Now people ask themselves: how do we keep our drivers happy so they will perform better? People used to get a nasty look if you went mountain biking or running because something could happen. But times have changed."

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