MONTPELLIER, France (Velo) — Dutch superstar Mathieu van der Poel will not continue in the 2025 Tour de France after being diagnosed with pneumonia, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Van der Poel, 30, had been battling cold-like symptoms in recent days and his condition deteriorated rapidly Monday evening during the Tour’s second rest day.
Alpecin-Deceuninck medical staff took the Dutch star to the Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne, where tests confirmed a case of pneumonia. Van der Poel will not start Tuesday’s stage 16 that ends atop Mont Ventoux.
“It was decided that he can no longer continue the race,” the team said in a statement. “His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential.”
The multi-discipline world champion would have been targeting another win in the final week, including the new-look final stage featuring a circuit course over Montmartre in Paris.
Van der Poel returned to form in this Tour, with a stage victory, four days in the yellow jersey, and a dramatic all-day breakaway that fell just 700m short in what is his best Tour since his 2021 debut.
#TDF2025 | MATHIEU VAN DER POEL QUITTE LE TOUR DE FRANCE !
❌ Vainqueur d’une étape et maillot jaune en début de course, le Néerlandais abandonne en raison d’une pneumonie. pic.twitter.com/x2GXSLkIiN
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) July 22, 2025
After lighting up several breakaways, he would have been in the running for the “super combative” prize awarded in Paris to the Tour’s most aggressive rider.
There is no timeline yet for his return to racing, but Van der Poel already confirmed he would not travel to Africa to race in the climb-heavy worlds route in Rwanda.
“Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week,” officials said. “After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation.”
Van der Poel’s case underscores a wave of chest colds and illnesses sweeping the peloton.
Yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar said he was suffering from a minor head cold and Matteo Jorgenson confirmed to Velo that he also came down with a minor cold as extreme heat, ice packs, and air conditioning piled on.