Wout van Aert’s easy day was 90 km at almost 40 km/h
The Belgian had a nice ride to keep his legs supple for the next race
Ah, rest days. Go out for a little spin with your pals for a coffee and flush out the soreness in your legs. There’s nothing better than an easy ride on a Monday after a tough race or group ride, is there? Active recovery to get the blood flow and help your body repair for the next training session.
The day after Superprestige Diegem on Dec. 30, the Belgian champion went out on a 90 km spin, averaging just under 39.6 km/h. Of course, it should be noted he was motorpacing. “Technical and reflex training for my scooter driver,” the caption on his Strava post read.
Watch how much faster a WorldTour rider is than a regular cyclist
Pros will often motorpace on an easy day to keep their legs supple and nimble after a tough race. The idea being you can get some miles in, but at a high speed without too much exertion. You can retain the sensations of race-pace, but a low heart rate. By doing so, you’ll get your active recovery but keep the quickness in your legs. Sort of like doing a spin on the rollers at a high cadence.
Van Aert is having a great ‘cross season, with several victories over his rivals Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock. The Superprestige in Diegem was one of the best ‘cross races, in years, as many fans said. And van Aert continues to impress as the season goes on. He’s definitely the odds-on favourite for the world championships in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands.
And by the looks of his Strava, his training is certainly going well.
