Dutch cyclist Van der Poel leaves Tour de France early with pneumonia

Mathieu van der Poel has stepped out of the Tour de France early. The Dutch cyclist is suffering from pneumonia and is unable to ride the 16th stage to Mont Ventoux on Tuesday, the Alpecin-Deceuninck cycling team announced.

Van der Poel, who won stage two and also rode in the yellow jersey for four days, had been struggling with a cold for the past few days. His symptoms worsened on Monday afternoon, and he developed a fever. He went to a hospital in Narbonne for examination and was diagnosed with 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,” the cycling team wrote on Instagram. “Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week.”

Being forced to abandon the Tour de France prematurely is a great disappointment. Van der Poel was riding an impressive race. The Dutch cyclist leaves the race in third place in the points classification with 210 points.