Pro riders seriously step up their training on Strava, including Chris Froome, Egan Bernal and Wout van Aert

The return of bike racing is just around the corner and the pros are really starting to step up their training, if Strava stats are to be believed.

Over the last week, superstar riders like Chris Froome, Egan Bernal and Wout van Aert have all been sharing rides on the social media platform and the numbers are mind-blowing.

We’ve already explored Bernal’s (Team Ineos) intense training programme at home in Colombia, as he has been racking up Grand Tour-worthy kilometres each week.

But the reigning Tour de France champion has been keeping up the effort, riding 1,023km and 34-hours in the last week of June.

His longest ride was a 206km-long effort, which took him seven hours and covered 3,474 metres of altitude gain.

Bernal’s team-mate Chris Froome, who will also be vying for Tour de France leadership at the Tour de France, has also been sharing a few of his rides on Strava.

The four-time Tour de France winner only occasionally posts his rides publicly, but they are always worth a close look.

Last week, Froome put in a 160km ride near Monaco, with his former team-mate Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo).

The pair spent six and a half hours in the saddle, covering 4,400m of climbing.

Of course Froome will have been putting in far more kilometres that he posts on Strava, but this offers just a glimpse of his current training.

Another rider likely to star in the Tour de France later this year, is Wout van Aert, albeit on different terrain.

The former cyclocross world champion will be a serious contender for the sprints, Classics-style stages and even the time trials.

He has been putting in some formidable distances on Strava, in preparation for the Tour’s Grand Départ in Nice on August 29.

From June 22 to June 28, Van Aert rode 873km around Belgium, including 159km on the road with his cyclocross friends and rivals.

Last week he covered 851km and then kicked off this week with a 201km lap on Monday (July 6).

>>> Egan Bernal says Chris Froome ‘never got mad’ over Tour de France leadership comments 

With the Tour de France just over a month away, riders will be welcoming the return to racing after a three-month lay-off, but will the unususual season affect the results?