Mathieu van der Poel will not be on his bike for the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has pneumonia.
“We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to leave the Tour de France,” Alpecin wrote on X on Tuesday. Van der Poel had been suffering from a cold in recent days.
“His health situation started to deteriorate significantly yesterday afternoon. The team doctor has been monitoring him closely the whole time. In the evening, Mathieu also developed a fever. That is why he was taken to the hospital for further examination.”
In the hospital, it turned out that Van der Poel has pneumonia. “In consultation with the medical staff, it has been decided that he cannot continue the Tour. His health is the top priority. Rest and recovery are now essential.”
According to Alpecin, Van der Poel needs to rest for at least a week. “After that, he will be examined again to see how the healing process is going. Then he will determine what the next steps in his recovery will be.”