"Instagram reels don’t tell the real story" - Mathieu van der Poel turns up the heat in Tour preparation

Mathieu van der Poel's summer didn't start well in his comeback to mountain bikes. In Nove Mesto World Cup, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider crashed twice and suffered a fracture in his hand. But without panicking, the Dutchman got back to work (training) soon afterwards and two weeks ago rode a more than modest Criterium du Dauphiné, proving that his injury is no longer a nuisance.

After the French stage race, the 30-year-old Dutchman headed back to Spanish Costa Blanca with his regular training buddy Freddy Ovett, and an eye on the Tour de France in two weeks from now. On Strava and Instagram, the duo gives an insight into what those gruelling training rides are like.

In one of their sessions, filmed from the view of the Australian, we see Van der Poel sprinting uphill in a way only he can. Moments later, the Dutchman is taking a nap on a calm bench in otherwise warm Spanish weather. Then the two riders wrap up the day with a good food.

"Instagram reels don’t tell the real story," reads the caption from Ovett, who has recovered from an injury. "So happy to be able to cycle without pain again. It’s still tough, but I love it," says Ovett. To which Van der Poel quickly replies: "Cycling is never without suffering, right?"

Tour de France starts on July 5 and Van der Poel will be one of the main favourites to wear yellow in the opening week filled with explosive stages in north France.