Mathieu van der Poel continues to have discomfort and will also not be in Koksijde: "This is really disappointing"

After skipping the race on January 1st in Baal, Van der Poel does not seem to have fully recovered from his chest pain and will also not be in Koksijde tomorrow. If everything goes well, his reappearance will be on Sunday in Dendermonde where he would face Van Aert for the second time this season.

Van der Poel does not recover and skips Koksijde

A fall in his first encounter with Van Aert in Loenhout left World Champion Mathieu van der Poel shaken and after testing himself in competition a few days later, he has decided to pause due to the strong pain he is experiencing in his ribs. This has been communicated by his team.

Mathieu van der Poel continues to have problems with his ribs, which causes him significant discomfort, especially on more difficult terrains. As a result, he will not participate in Koksijde tomorrow. As for his participation in the Dendermonde World Cup (Sunday), Mathieu and the team will make a decision on Saturday.

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«This is really disappointing because Koksijde is one of my favorite races», said Van der Poel. «It's where I won my first world title, for example. But it's too early. I hope to be ready for Dendermonde, although I fear it will be tough».