Mathieu van der Poel Cuts Short Renewi Tour Due to Worrying Knee Pain

AALTER, BELGIUM — Reigning World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has withdrawn from the Renewi Tour ahead of Sunday’s final stage, citing ongoing knee pain that threatens to impact his remaining 2024 racing schedule.

Van der Poel, who experienced the injury after hitting his knee on his handlebars during the time trial on stage 2, continued to race but found the discomfort persistently troubling. Despite his best efforts, the pain proved too significant for him to risk further aggravation.

“It was decided not to take any risks in consideration of the rest of his program,” a team spokesperson for Alpecin-Deceuninck explained.

The decision to withdraw came as Van der Poel faced a particularly challenging final stage, which included the notoriously grueling Muur van Geraardsbergen. “The last stage would have been extra stressful for the knee,” Van der Poel said. “I can’t and won’t take any risk of the injury getting worse. It’s very unfortunate, as I was really looking forward to the last stage.”

In Van der Poel’s absence, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) claimed victory in the final stage, with Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) taking the overall classification of the Renewi Tour.

Looking ahead, Van der Poel is set to return to competition at the European Championships in Belgium on September 15, where he aims to make a strong showing. He is also scheduled to participate in the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg from September 18 to 22, and later, the World Championships road race on September 29 in Zurich, Switzerland, where he will defend his rainbow jersey.

The Zurich course, featuring over 4000 meters of elevation gain across 274 kilometers, presents a formidable challenge, particularly for Van der Poel, who has experienced significant success earlier in the season with victories at the E3 Saxo Classic, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. However, his Olympic campaign did not go as planned, with Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) overtaking him for gold, leaving Van der Poel in 12th place.

The upcoming European Championships could offer Van der Poel the chance to secure his 50th UCI road win, providing a fitting milestone in his illustrious career.