Van der Poel swaps snow for the green, while Van Aert can (briefly) get outside again

Just one day after claiming his record eighth cyclo-cross world title, Van der Poel was already seen in Livigno, Italy. Under bright sunshine, the Dutchman from Alpecin-Premier Tech spent a few days relaxing with friends and his partner Roxanne.

Van der Poel also took a look at a section of the Olympic venues currently being used in northern Italy. His circle shared a group photo on Instagram — with Van der Poel and Roxanne joined by team boss Christoph Roodhooft.

On Saturday, the ski slope made way for something very different: Van der Poel swapped the snow for a neatly cut green lawn and played a round of golf. It is not clear exactly where, but judging by the time spent, it looked like a solid few hours of unwinding.

Van Aert, meanwhile, has had far less reason to enjoy the winter weather. The Belgian rider was still training in decent conditions back home in Belgium earlier this month, but in Sierra Nevada he has been met with heavy snow and rain. On Thursday — his first day on Spanish soil — he stayed indoors.

He completed two sessions on the rollers using the ROUVY training platform, with pointed titles to match the mood: “I’m not really feeling the Spanish vibe yet, so decided to ride in Switzerland,” and “mopping up with the tap running.” On Friday, however, he did manage to get out with team-mate Davide Piganzoli.

The young Italian and Van Aert covered 127 kilometres and just over 1,600 metres of climbing, but on Saturday it was back indoors again due to the conditions. “I’m starting to appreciate it,” Van Aert wrote alongside another ROUVY ride.