Imitating Luke Littler, turning 30, and big fat Lambos: Van der Poel gears up for a crucial weekend after time off
Cyclo-cross
Mathieu van der Poel bids farewell to January with an Instagram post. It was an eventful month, mainly focused on recovering from the rib fracture he sustained at Azencross in Loenhout. The injury gave him plenty of time to enjoy life outside of cycling—celebrating his 30th birthday and even throwing some darts.
Of course, it wasn’t all just fun and games. On his return to cyclo-cross last weekend, the world champion wasted no time in showing his dominance. Twice! He beat Wout van Aert in Maasmechelen and then completely outclassed the competition just one day later in Hoogerheide in the first lap, sealing two commanding victories. However, these highlights didn’t make it into his latest photo dump, which instead focuses on his 30th birthday celebration.
The post also features shots of him grinding in the gym, pushing through some squats. Of course, he included the almost obligatory training ride snapshots from Spain—and let’s be honest, with scenery that stunning, why not? His usual training partner, Freddy Ovett, was once again along for the ride. Beyond cycling, it turns out Van der Poel is also a bit of a dart fanatic, so a quick round of darts made its way into his downtime.
Read more below the Post!
World Championships in Liévin: Van der Poel’s final winter masterpiece
With his latest Instagram post, Mathieu van der Poel shifts focus to February, which kicks off with a crucial moment in his season. On February 2, he will attempt to defend his world title in Liévin, France. After a dominant cyclo-cross winter, he is the clear favorite, but the last-minute entry of his eternal rival, Wout van Aert, has added a serious challenger to the mix. Once the World Championships are over, the winter season ends, and his attention turns to the road season again. His first race of 2024 is already marked on the calendar—Milan-San Remo on March 22.
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024