Training maniac Van Aert strikes again: "Recklessly taking unnecessary risks on the Playa de Palma bike path. Love it!"
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Follow us on GoogleSeeing all of Mallorca in one day? Most tourists can’t manage it, but Wout van Aert on a bike almost can. The Belgian rider is deep into his preparations for the new road season. Currently training on Mallorca, the Visma | Lease a Bike rider is pushing himself to the limit. On Tuesday, he completed an impressive training day, featuring both a running session and a long bike ride!
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Next week, it's finally time: Van Aert will kick off his road season. His first race? The Spanish one-day event Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, known for its gravel sections. After competing in the Cyclo-cross World Championships, the Belgian will clock his first race kilometers on the road there. Not long after, his first major season goals await—so for now, it's all about intense training under the Spanish sun.
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Tuesday started early for Wout van Aert. Just after 7 a.m., he laced up his running shoes for a refreshing jog through Sineu, located in the heart of Mallorca. He covered 6.4 kilometers in just under 30 minutes, maintaining a steady pace of 4:26 per kilometer. For an average runner, that’s a tough pace, but for the Belgian, it was likely nothing more than a relaxed morning warm-up.
Only after this "quick morning jog" did the real work begin—and what a session it was. Immediately after running, Van Aert jumped on his bike for a monster ride of 239 kilometers. During the seven-hour ride, he tackled Mallorca’s sometimes treacherous roads and racked up significant elevation gain, climbing over 2,700 meters in total. Despite the demanding terrain, he maintained an impressive average speed of 33.5 km/h.
Van Aert is getting ready to reach his ultimate goals
His Strava file is packed with personal records, earning him a collection of gold medals on various segments, including climbs like Coll de Orient + Coll de Honor and Coll des Grau. As usual, Van Aert shared his effort on Strava, where he jokingly referenced his ride: "Recklessly taking unnecessary risks on the Playa de Palma bike path. Love it." At least, we hope it was meant as a joke.
Next week, Van Aert kicks off his season at Clásica Jaén, the hilly one-day race featuring gravel sections. After that, the 30-year-old Belgian heads to the Volta ao Algarve. These two warm-up races will serve as preparation for the real deal. Van Aert will race in the Opening Weekend before taking a short break. He’ll then return for E3 Saxo Classic and Dwars door Vlaanderen, his final tune-ups ahead of his ultimate goal: finally winning a cobbled Monument. This year, he has his sights set on Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix as the crowning moments of his season. His meticulous preparation leaves nothing to chance—it’s clear he’s all-in.
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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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