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Follow us on GoogleAfter a long season, Mathieu van der Poel is enjoying a well-deserved vacation, but the Dutch rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech isn’t sitting still, of course. He’s swapped his cycling shoes for running shoes in sunny Spain, as he shows on social media.
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Van der Poel is pounding the pavements
"Running season is here," Van der Poel writes alongside a photo of his Adidas shoes, followed by a photo of the blue sky and the Spanish coastline.
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The Dutchman wrapped up his season two weeks ago with a third-place finish at the World Cycling Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Read more below the photo!
Van der Poel is a good runner
Van der Poel has shown on several occasions in the past that he is an excellent runner. Together with his friend Freddy Ovett—son of former runner Steve Ovett—he ran a half marathon in Denia in 2024 in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Late last year, the Dutchman also ran a fast 10-kilometer race, finishing in 33 minutes and 52 seconds. This time spiralled on social media, with followers congratulating the sportsman on his fitness and speed. It even sparked debates in the comment sections about which pro cyclists would win in a peloton running race- or even triathlon!
Van der Poel also likes to lace up his running shoes in his spare time, since he needs that level of fitness for cyclocross and it’s also good for his bones. It is not yet known whether van der Poel will compete in cyclocross this winter. He is set to become a father for the first time in January and has not yet made a decision.
Tom Pidcock has confirmed that he will not be racing this season, but Van der Poel's oldest rival Wout van Aert will be there, after his cyclocross season last year was cut brutally short.
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the race: why is it called the “Koers van de Vallende Bladeren”? Is that another name for Lombardy because it’s held in autumn?breakawaybikerd12-10-2026
- Brilliant result, but the coverage is already crowning him the next king after one big win. Let’s see how he handles a full season of expectations first.lindae12-10-2026
- The Civiglio move sounds a bit reckless, but clearly he trusted his legs and his plan. That confidence is exciting—though the team will need to help him manage all the hype now.gearguru3312-10-2026
- I’m still learning the race: why is it called the “Koers van de Vallende Bladeren”? Is that another name for Lombardy because it’s held in autumn?Huge ride from Seixas. Winning a Monument at 20 is remarkable, and dropping Ciccone and Pidcock on the final climb makes it more than just a case of Pogacar being absent.velodromevirtuoso112-10-2026
- Brilliant result, but the coverage is already crowning him the next king after one big win. Let’s see how he handles a full season of expectations first.patriciaw12-10-2026
- The Civiglio move sounds a bit reckless, but clearly he trusted his legs and his plan. That confidence is exciting—though the team will need to help him manage all the hype now.davidm12-10-2026
- Huge ride from Seixas. Winning a Monument at 20 is remarkable, and dropping Ciccone and Pidcock on the final climb makes it more than just a case of Pogacar being absent.sprocketspiny12-10-2026
- What a year for Del Toro. Future Grand Tour winner, surely.patriciaw11-10-2026
- Why did UAE make him team leader if they already knew the knee was bothering him? Seems like a strange decision.lindae11-10-2026
- Seixas really blew the race apart on the Civiglio. Del Toro’s 28th looks poor on paper, but context matters here. One bad day doesn’t erase the season he’s had.cyclechamp4511-10-2026
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