Mathieu van der Poel Withdraws from Tour de France due to Pneumonia

Narbonne, France – Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel has withdrawn from the Tour de France due to a pneumonia diagnosis. Van der Poel’s decision comes after he experienced worsening health during the competition, sparking concern among fans and officials.

Commentator Christophe Vandegoor discussed the news on Radio 1, stating, “It was indeed surprising news. The past few days, he had been suffering from a cold. We didn’t know about that, which is not unusual for athletes as they often keep health issues under wraps to avoid alarming competitors.”

According to Vandegoor, continuing to race while battling pneumonia could jeopardize Van der Poel’s health. “You cannot continue sports with pneumonia; otherwise, you put your health at risk,” he emphasized.

Van der Poel reported that his condition has been severe enough to lead to hospitalization in Narbonne. He will rest and undergo further evaluation next week. Fans are concerned whether this might affect his goal of competing for the mountain biking world title in September.

On social media, Van der Poel expressed his disappointment with the withdrawal, saying, “This hurts a lot.” This marks his third withdrawal in five Tour de France participations.

Vandegoor pointed out that despite the early exit, Van der Poel made significant contributions to the race, including a stage victory and holding the yellow jersey for four days. “For Alpecin-Deceuninck, this is the second team leader to abandon the Tour, and while many teams would be satisfied with two stage wins, this ending is bittersweet for them,” he concluded.