World Champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) withdrew from the Renewi Tour before Sunday’s last stage, citing knee soreness and the potential damage on the balance of his 2024 season.
During the second stage of the time trial, Van der Poel banged his knee on his handlebars. He was able to complete the marathon until Friday, but the agony did not go away.
“It was decided not to take any risks in consideration of the rest of his program,” Alpecin-Deceuninck stated.
“The last stage would have been extra stressful for the knee,” Van der Poel remarked.
“So I can’t and won’t risk making the injury worse. Very unfortunate, because I had been looking forward to the final stage on Geraardsbergen’s Muur.
Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) won the last stage of the Renewi Tour, beating off a field divided by the closing circuits’ peaks. Tim Wellens of UAE Team Emirates won the overall classification.
Van van Poel is likely to pin a number in the European Championships in Belgium on September 15.
He will then compete in the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg from September 18 to 22, followed by the World Championships road race in Zurich, Switzerland, on September 29, when he will defend his rainbow jersey.
The Zurich course offers an opportunity for climbers, with over 4000m of elevation gain across the 274km race, making it difficult for van der Poel to win for a second year.
Van der Poel had plenty of early-season success, winning the E3 Saxo Classic, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. However, the Olympic Games did not proceed as planned when Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) countered Van der Poel’s manoeuvres with a solo attack, winning gold while the Dutch rider placed 12th.
The European Championships in Belgium could provide the perfect opportunity for him to win his 50th UCI road race.
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