Following a lengthy hiatus caused by injury, Mathieu van der Poel is back in the saddle. To help his back heal, he's recently completed a mix of three indoor and three outdoor rides. He isn't training at full professional intensity just yet, but he has been gradually increasing his distance throughout the week, desperate to get fit before the Classics begin.
Mathieu van der Poel is back on his bike after a long injury lay-off. The Dutchman completed three indoor rides and three outdoors in recent days as he is recovering from a back injury. The Dutch cyclist is not training hard as an elite rider, but he has consistently increased the distances over the past week. Mathieu van der Poel was seen in a race against time to get fit for the Classics.
For roughly six to seven months, Mathieu van der Poel has been struggling with a back injury—specifically a swollen intervertebral disc. This health setback completely derailed his cyclo-cross plans for the winter. According to his medical staff, the only path to a total recovery was strict, complete rest.
After deciding to skip the Cyclo-cross Worlds, van der Poel entered a period of open-ended recovery, staying off the bike for almost a full month. He finally returned to training on January 29th, riding for three consecutive days.
As a member of the Alpecin–Fenix Pro team, van der Poel started with a 19.5 km ride on Zwift. He increased that distance twofold the next day and wrapped up the stint with a 27 km ride on January 31st—coincidentally the same day Tom Pidcock won the cyclo-cross world title.
Following a day of rest, the Dutchman moved his training outdoors. He completed a two-hour round trip from his home near Antwerp to the Alpecin-Fenix service course and back, covering 64 km in rainy conditions at an average speed of 33 km/h. The following day, he teamed up with Zdenek Stybar of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl for a 75 km loop, maintaining an average speed of 31.6 km/h.
A few days ago, van der Poel tackled his longest distance of the year so far, completing a 99.8 km flat ride. He averaged 31.5 km/h with a power output of 229 watts, though there is still a lingering concern that any return of the pain could jeopardize his progress.
The 'Opening Weekend' of the Classics arrives at the end of February, but that is likely too early for van der Poel. His sights are set on early March for Strade Bianche, a race he won last year. He is currently pushing to return to top form just in time for the primary Classics window, starting with Milan-San Remo on March 18th followed by the Flemish races.