Wout Poels 'getting used' to riding Tour de France with broken rib

Every year the brutality of the Tour de France ensures there is one rider who suffers painful injuries early on in the race yet battles through to the end, soldiering on over HC climbs with physical ailments that would see mere mortals like you or I bedridden for weeks.

This year the unofficial 'hardman of the Tour' award seems to be heading the way of Wout Poels, the Bahrain-McLaren rider suffering a broken rib and injured lung after coming down on the slippery opening stage in Nice.

The very next day Poels refused to be downbeat, praising the fact the sun was shining, mirroring his optimism for the race ahead.

Two weeks later, the Dutchman sits in 134th place overall, four hours down on Primož Roglič, but is on the mend and "getting used" to riding with his aches.

"Every day it gets a little bit better," Poels told Cycling Weekly, "so I'm quite happy with that. Yesterday was already way better but I still feel it, although you do get a little bit used to it after a while, and it's healing of course."

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Looking to take his mind off the pain, we turn to one of his preferred conversation topics. Wout Poels' must be the only person whose face lights up at the mention of Brexit.

Owain Doull revealed that during Poels' Ineos days he was "obsessed" with watching the Brexit countdown on Sky News, the Dutchman now slightly dismayed that the French Grand Tour has gotten in the way of keeping up to date with Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

"Ah yes! I haven't been following it so much recently, during the Tour de France, we don't have Sky News on all the time, but I'm still following as best I can."

Riding the Tour de France with your injuries is a bit less complicated than Brexit?

"Now with all the coronavirus, it hasn't made things easier for Boris."

Even during a global pandemic, Wout Poels is here to make you feel that little bit better.