Greg Van Avermaet isn’t competing on road since 2023, but the 2016 Olympic champion remains in a top shape, as is evident from his latest Strava activity. However the effort alone would not be all that interesting, if during the run, he didn’t run across a familiar face – Mathieu van der Poel. Unlike the Belgian, Van der Poel is a bit further back in his preparation and thus didn’t tag along for too long, but Van Avermaet was still able to get a nice selfie while passing the Dutchman.
Although he’s been out of racing for a few years now, the 39-year-old Belgian remains exceptionally active. In Jávea, Spain, a popular winter destination for cyclists, he completed a 13-kilometer morning run, averaging 4:36 per kilometer. He shared the activity on Strava with the telling title: “Putting distance into Mathieu”. Van Avermaet clearly still has the legs, having become an avid gravel biker.
For Van der Poel, it’s likely been a little less intense run, although we cannot deduce much as the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider doesn’t make his activities on Strava public. The Dutchman is still in a quiet rebuilding phase and is currently concentrating mainly on regaining his rhythm and basic fitness, without pushing himself too hard.
Van der Poel, however, chimed in under Van Avermaet’s Strava post with a typical quip. With a wink, he thanked the Belgian for “waiting for him a bit.” It remains to be seen when we’ll see the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider back in competition. At some point, the seven-time cyclocross world champion is expected to join his specialist colleagues in the field, but no set date has been presented at this moment.