Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) may have returned to the cyclocross scene with a blistering series of wins but now the world champion has suffered his first set-back of the winter season.
He has been forced to withdraw from GP Sven Nys Baal, which takes place today in Belgium, due to a crash injury that has worsened in recent days.
On his way to victory at Azencross-Loenhout (C1) last Friday, Van der Poel hit a pole and suffered the injury to his ribs. Though he was able to race at UCI World Cup Besançon on Sunday, when he also won, the crash injury has worsened since then.
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As a result, his team has confirmed he has decided to withdraw from the race at the last minute and the injury will be monitored to determine what impact it will have, if any, on his upcoming races as the Worlds approach.
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However, his team has also said racing as soon as Friday, in Koksijde, has not been ruled out, suggesting he make shake off the injury very quickly.
"Mathieu has a lot of pain in his ribs after his fall in Loenhout. He came into contact with a pole there," his team said in a brief statement early on New Year's Day.
"The discomfort has gotten worse in the past few days and after consultation with the medical team, Mathieu decided this morning not to start in Baal. We will closely monitor his recovery to determine whether he can participate in the race in Koksijde on Friday."
