Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to abandon the Tour de France ahead of stage 16, with the Dutchman suffering with pneumonia.
His Alpecin-Deceuninck team announced the news on Tuesday morning, hours before the third week of the Tour was due to begin with a stage from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux.
The 30-year-old won stage two to Boulougne-sur-Mer in the opening week, and twice had time in the yellow jersey, being one of the key attackers in the race. However, a cold worsened over Monday's rest day, and Van der Poel was taken to hospital in Narbonne as a result.
He spent five days in the breakaway at this Tour, seemingly constantly in moves, including Sunday's stage 15 to Carcassonne. He came close to a second stage victory on stage 11 to Toulouse, where he finished third after failing to catch the final pair out front.
"We regret to announce that Mathieu van der Poel is forced to abandon the Tour de France prematurely," an Alpecin-Deceuninck spokesperson said.
"Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly. The team doctor monitored him closely throughout the day. By the evening, Mathieu developed a fever and was taken to the ‘Centre Hospitalier de Narbonne’ for further examinations.
"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.
"Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week. After this period, he will undergo further medical examinations to assess his recovery and determine the next steps in his rehabilitation."
Van der Poel is expected to focus on mountain biking later this season, with the Dutchman aiming for glory at the MTB World Championships in Switzerland at the end of August and beginning of September. It is not known how this period of illness and rest will now affect these plans.
