Mathieu van der Poel is continuing rehabilitation and recovery to overcome a back injury while riding his bike outdoors in Spain.
Van der Poel has only recently begun riding both indoor and outdoor earlier this week, before traveling to ride in warmer temperatures in Denia on Wednesday.
Alpecin-Fenix have cautioned that he has not resumed training but rather he is testing his back while riding outside to see if it is pain-free.
“Mathieu is just cycling around as part of his rehabilitation. For a professional cyclist, such short trips fall under the heading of cycling around. It is not a resumption of training," said team manager Christoph Roodhooft.
Van der Poel has been trying to overcome a back injury that troubled him in the second half of last year and he was forced to cancel his cyclo-cross campaign this winter.
The injury is reportedly due to switching between his road bike and mountain bike as he targeted a road campaign with his preparation for last summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games. Although he crashed in the men's cross-country event, it was not believed to have worsened his back pain.
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It has been reported in Het Nieuwsblad that Van der Poel is expected to begin training on Monday, if his back is pain-free. According to the report, a race programme will not be confirmed until Van der Poel can complete pain-free training blocks.
Although his is riding again, he is not likely to start racing at the 'Opening Weekend' which begins with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium on February 26 or at Strade Bianche, a race he won last year, on March 5 in Italy.
Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.
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