Today we woke up to the horrible news that Mathieu van der Poel has dropped out of the Tour de France 2025. The Dutchman, already a stage winner in the Grande Boucle in this edition and who was fighting against Jonathan Milan and Tadej Pogacar for the green jersey, will not be on the start line in the Mont Ventoux stage. An untimely pneumonia is to blame for the abandonment of the Alpecin star.
It was the Belgian team that announced the sad news through its social networks: “We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to leave the Tour de France prematurely.”
Apparently, a cold that did not seem serious has become more complicated:”Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold for the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen considerably. The team doctor was monitoring him closely throughout the day. Already in the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was transferred to the ‘Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne’ for further tests.”
The medical tests have been definitive:”Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he cannot continue in the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential.”
He will now be out of competition for a week:”Mathieu will need to rest for at least one full week. After that period, he will undergo further medical tests to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation.”