Van der Poel explains brief Spanish training block and responds to vigorous run after Tour of Flanders: "It was an April Fools' joke"

Let's rewind for a moment to Easter Sunday. Around 4 p.m., after a fabulous solo effort, Van der Poel crossed the finish line as the celebrated victor of the Tour of Flanders, a race he won for the third time. Following the (ceremonial) duties, the 29-year-old Dutchman quickly departed from the vicinity of Oudenaarde, as he had a flight to catch to Spain. Specifically, to the vicinity of Calpe, where his second residence is located and where he is more than happy to spend time.

During the week, Van der Poel trained under the Spanish sun. Thursday evening, he returned to the Low Countries. On Friday morning, he spoke to the cycling press. It was during this press interview that his supposed run last Monday also came up for discussion. Well, run... this website also headlined, "Bizarre! Mathieu 'Big Dog' van der Poel is already cycling AND running briskly 24 hours after Ronde victory." Together with training companion Ovett, Van der Poel was said to have jogged just under fourteen kilometers. And all in less than an hour, averaging 4.36 minutes per kilometer.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. "The story of running the day after the Ronde is indeed not true," pointed out the rider from Kapellen. "Freddy and I had gone cycling. He did go running afterward; I did not. It was an April Fool's joke. I'm not a fan of those April Fool's jokes. I myself am not a fan of those April 1 jokes, but nobody asked me, so yes..." he chuckled, followed by laughter from the newsroom.

Spain and Van der Poel seem to be an inseparable combination by now. Even for short periods, the phenomenon is only too happy to travel there. "I enjoyed the good weather in Spain," he explains more about his fondness for the Costa Blanca. "That was one of the reasons to go, but also to train naturally. I had three good training sessions, so I'm glad I went. If I only did Paris-Roubaix, it wouldn't be that important. But I have other important races coming up, so it's important to maintain my fitness.

By other races (in the short term), Van der Poel is referring to the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, scheduled for the two Sundays following the Hell of the North. It is also because of his likely participation in those two classics that he is not yet sure if he will return directly to Spain after Paris-Roubaix. "I would also like to explore the Amstel and Liège. Besides, it also depends on the weather." What is clear is that Spain seems to give the classy rider just that little bit more. And so we look forward to Sunday...