Mathieu van der Poel abandons Tour de France after pneumonia diagnosis

New York Times

6 days ago

Mathieu van der Poel has abandoned the Tour de France ahead of stage 16 after being diagnosed with pneumonia during the race's second day.
The 30-year-old had been enjoying the best Tour of his career, having won stage two and worn the yellow jersey on two separate occasions. He also came within 750m of winning stage nine into Chateauroux.
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Van der Poel had told reporters on Sunday that he was suffering with illness, but as race leader Tadej Pogacar explained in his press conference on the same day: 'Half of the bunch has sore throats and coughing, blowing their noses.'
However, Van der Poel's Alpecin-Deceuninck team released a statement on Tuesday morning, reading: 'We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to abandon the Tour de France prematurely.
'Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly. The team doctor monitored him closely throughout the day. By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the 'Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne' for further examinations.
'Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential.
'Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week. After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation.'
We regret to announce that @mathieuvdpoel is forced to abandon the @LeTour prematurely.
Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly. The team doctor monitored him closely… pic.twitter.com/wfVkP1Z1JG
— Alpecin-Deceuninck Cycling Team (@AlpecinDCK) July 22, 2025
This had been an excellent season for the former world champion, who won two Monuments, Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, in the spring. Van der Poel had been aiming to target the mountain bike world championships on September 14.
Stage 16 will see the peloton climb Mont Ventoux, one of the most mythical climbs in French cycling. Pogacar currently holds a four minute and 13 second over Jonas Vingegaard after a dominant display in the Pyrenees. The race will move into the Alps during the second-half of the week, before finishing in Paris on Sunday.