Mathieu van der Poel has found himself back in the spotlight this week — and for three very different reasons. His long-awaited return to cyclo-cross is now locked in, with the Dutch star set to race the Namur World Cup on 14 December. His team have also unveiled a major change, announcing the new Alpecin-Premier Tech partnership following Premier Tech’s move away from their previous set-up with Israel.
And now there’s a third storyline: a surreal training-ride moment that has gone viral.
A video shared widely across social media shows Van der Poel deep into one of his routine road sessions as he continues preparing to reach peak condition again. In the clip, he appears to be winding up for a sprint when his bike suddenly suffers a mechanical issue, likely with the chain.