There may be bad news for Van der Poel: "the damage could be greater than expected"

Mathieu van der Poel's return to mountain biking ended abruptly on Sunday in Nove Mesto. The Dutchman suffered two falls in the first lap of the XCO World Cup and was forced to retire after just 30 minutes of racing. The situation has raised all alarms, and according to Sporza, his participation in the Tour de France could be in serious danger.

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In his attempt to climb from the fourth row of the grid, Van der Poel made a risky maneuver on the outside of Spanish cyclist David Valero in a tight corner, which ended with both falling against the barriers.

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A few minutes later, after a jump, he lost control of his Canyon and went over the handlebars, suffering a hard fall. Although he tried to continue, he ended up abandoning the competition half an hour later.

Van der Poel was examined that same night at the Herentals hospital (Belgium). According to the Belgian media Sporza, his team and the rider himself fear that the injuries may be more serious than expected. "All parties consider it possible that there may be bad news. The damage could be greater than anticipated," indicates the Belgian media, which does not rule out an extended absence.

The Dutchman was planning to travel to La Plagne (French Alps) today to start an altitude training camp as part of his preparation for the Critérium du Dauphiné (June 8-15), a prelude to the Tour de France (July 5-27). However, that plan is now up in the air: "Behind that schedule there is now a big question mark," points out Sporza.