Mathieu van der Poel returned earlier than expected from an altitude internship in Livigno. “He has problems with his lower back”, says Alpecin-Fenix team leader Christoph Roodhooft. “Driving at ease is possible, but that is of course not training. That is why we have decided to stop the internship. You can’t keep muddling on.”
The back pain is not a direct result of the heavy fall that Van der Poel made at the Games in Tokyo. “Of course he didn’t do it any good”, says Roodhooft, “but before that he also had some problems. In the first world cup he did (Albstadt, red.), that pain also manifested itself. Whether it has to do with the transition from road bicycle to mountain bike? We assume not.”
Van der Poel normally rides the Benelux Tour (30 August-5 September) and his participation is not compromised at the moment. Roodhooft: “We assume that nothing will change in his program, although we can talk differently in three days. Research shows that there is no structural problem. There is certainly nothing alarming going on, but there should be a turnaround in the coming days.”
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