Van der Poel abandons Tour de France with pneumonia after battling illness and fever

Mathieu van der Poel has withdrawn from the Tour de France after being diagnosed with pneumonia following a hospital visit during Monday’s rest day.

Alpecin-Deceuninck confirmed the news just hours before the start of stage 16 to Mont Ventoux. The 30-year-old had already been feeling unwell over the weekend and revealed to reporters ahead of stage 15 that he was “not recovering well,” despite hopes that the rest day would help.

Van der Poel had enjoyed one of his best Grand Tour performances to date, winning stage 2 and wearing the yellow jersey twice. He also came close to a second win in Châteauroux on stage 9, only being caught within the final kilometre.

Photo Credit: Getty

Illness worsens after rest day

The team explained that van der Poel initially displayed cold-like symptoms, but his condition worsened on Monday.

“By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne for further examinations,” read the statement.

“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.”

He is expected to rest for at least a week before further medical tests determine when he can return to training.

Form disrupted after early success

Van der Poel’s Tour had started brightly, with his stage win and time in yellow showcasing the form that saw him dominate the Classics earlier this year with victories in Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix.

However, his physical struggles became apparent later in the Pyrenees. He was stung by an insect near his eye on Hautacam, causing swelling and fatigue. “It takes energy, and that’s something you need every single day here,” he said of the sting.

Despite illness and discomfort, he joined a short coffee ride on Monday in a replica ‘Merci Poupou’ jersey to honour his grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, before the team made the decision to withdraw him.

Van der Poel had been sitting third in the points classification behind Jonathan Milan and Tadej Pogačar. His absence is a significant loss to the race, which has already seen Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič abandon.

Speaking about the difficulty of pulling out, van der Poel had said over the weekend: “Abandoning the Tour is one of the hardest things you can do. But once it’s no longer doable, there’s no point in continuing.”

The Dutch star had been targeting the mountain bike world championships in September, but that campaign is now also in doubt as his recovery timeline remains uncertain.