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Follow us on GoogleRegent’s Park is a much-needed oasis for London’s road cyclists. Every morning before the sun is up, thousands of cyclists ride laps pf the roughly 4km inner and outer circles of the Central London park. However the morning of Thursday November 12 was a little bit different, as Mathieu van der Poel descended on the Regent’s Park for a Zwift event. A peloton of London cyclists joined him in beautiful scenes that reinforce the fact that the London cycling scene is alive and well.
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Van der Poel announced Regent’s Park laps on Instagram
How did London’s cycling community know that Van der Poel would be riding at 8:30am? He posted an update on his Instagram story, of course. And that was enough to encourage a couple of hundred riders to join him on a chilly but sunny November morning.
Van der Poel was riding with his regular training buddy Freddy Ovett and members of the UK Zwift team. The pace of the ride was nice and relaxed, as you’d imagine from a man on commercial duties.
Ovett’s Strava shows that the pair rode to the park from Shoreditch, where the Rouleur Live event is being held.
Van der Poel rode laps of the ‘Inner circle’, the inside loop of the park. The inner circle is practically car free and a less chaotic than the outer circle, perfect for a superstar like Van der Poel.
Read more below the photo.
Van der Poel and Ovett will appear at Rouleur Live
Van der Poel is not in London just to ride Regent’s Park laps. He is appearing at London’s prestigious Rouleur Live cycling event, alongside Ovett.
Van der Poel will be on stage on Thursday November 12. On the same day, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Taylor Phinney will also appear, as will Bradley Wiggins.
Van der Poel and Ovett also went for a run along the Thames
Not content with just Regent's laps, Ovett—son of former runner Steve Ovett—and Van der Poel laced up their running shoes to explore London.
They did so with a 20-kilometer run, maintaining a pretty good average pace of 4.44 minutes per kilometer. Along the way, they took photos of tourist attractions such as the London Eye and Big Ben.
Van der Poel hit up a prestigious UK golf course too
Van der Poel seemed to be having a fun time in the UK. Earlier in the week, he posted on Instagram that he had played a few holes at Sunningdale Golf Club, 50 kilometers west of London. And it seems like he was very impressed with the exclusive (and expensive) club.
"Straight into my top 5," read the caption on his social media post. It’s not surprising that he was impressed: annual membership for the Berkshire club runs to between £6,000 to £7,000 per year.
At least Regent’s Park laps are still free!
Huge crowds came out to greet Van der Poel in Regent's Park
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
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- Interesting that Thomas made the comparison while speaking to Rowe, given Decathlon’s hopes of keeping Seixas and the reports linking INEOS with him. Praise, or a subtle message to a potential signing?gearguru3312-11-2026
- Seixas winning Il Lombardia at this age is a huge statement. The Pogačar comparisons are inevitable, but Thomas is right to leave room for both of them to keep improving—Pog is still setting the bar.robert6512-11-2026
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