🎥 How fast does Van der Poel ride during training? This YouTuber tried (and struggled) to stay on his wheel
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Follow us on GoogleWhile his cyclo-cross rivals were battling the cold in the north, Mathieu van der Poel opted for an extra training block in Spain. The world champion stayed in the cycling haven of Calpe, where the region offers riders the perfect preparation for the new season. Van der Poel was not only joined by his teammates, but also by an amateur cyclist who documented just how fast the Dutchman flew across the roads.
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YouTuber and influencer Artem Shcherbyna is no stranger to stunts like this. At the end of 2024, he attempted to keep up with Jonas Vingegaard, and before that, he latched onto Tom Pidcock's wheel. While he managed to hang on to the Danish Visma | Lease a Bike leader for a while, a sprint effort saw him dropped. He managed to ask Vingegaard a few questions along the way, but that wasn't an option with Van der Poel.
The YouTuber joined Van der Poel during the descent of the famous Coll de Rates in sunny Spain, where the Alpecin-Deceuninck star was training alongside teammates and former colleagues (like Dutchman Sjoerd Bax). There, the difference between amateur and professional riders became painfully clear: while Van der Poel and his group effortlessly sped through the corners, the Ukrainian YouTuber lost their wheel almost immediately. He had to go all out to rejoin the group, and the pros weren’t even actively trying to drop him.
After the descent, Van der Poel broke away from his training partners to complete an interval session. At first, it seemed 'relatively' easy — the former road world champion pushed around 600 watts on the uphill sections. The way he overtook other riders was impressive. Despite Shcherbyna's best efforts, he couldn’t keep up with Van der Poel during his final acceleration. The ease with which Van der Poel rode was simply staggering...
Watch the footage of Van der Poel's training here
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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