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Zdenek Štybar went for a decidedly not easy ‘easy ride’ with Mathieu van der Poel

When two champs ride together, the pace ain't gonna be slow

Zdenek Štybar and Mathieu van der Poel training Photo by: Zdenek Štybar/Instagram
September 1, 2023
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On Friday, Zdenek Štybar posted a video of a ride sitting on MvdP’s wheel going just a hair under 40 km/h. His caption? “Always fun to go for an easy ride with Mathieu van der Poel.”

Mathieu van der Poel is in fine form

Štybar, a champion in his own right, shouldn’t be too surprised that the Dutch rider is flying. He just came off a spectacular win in Glasgow in one of the most memorable world championships in years. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider took a fantastic win, soloing ahead after a stunning attack in the final hour of racing.

He would go on to take his first road rainbow jersey ahead of Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogačar. MvdP made his win even more dramatic after a crash with just 16 km to go, and a broken shoe.

If only the Dutch rider posted on Strava

The Team Jayco–AlUla rider was out for a training session with van der Poel, but unfortunately we will never know the full extent of the ride since MvdP stopped posting his data on Strava. But given the fact that the three-time world CX champion posted a video of him sitting on the current road champ’s wheel, it’s pretty clear it was no coffee shop spin.

The Czech rider just finished up the Renewi Tour, a five day stage race in Belgium, where he finished 52nd overall. Mvdp is expected to show off his new rainbow kit at the Bretagne Classic race in France, before ending his season in October at Paris-Tours. Unfortunately for Canadians, the Dutch rider is not expected to race at the Grand Prix Cyclistes Québec et Montréal.