Mathieu van der Poel to make first racing comeback since abandoning Tour de France at criterium in the Netherlands
Dutchman back in action at Sunday's Profronde Etten-Leur more than three weeks after suffering with pneumonia
www.cyclingnews.comI don’t have live tool access right now, but I can share the latest widely reported updates up to now.
- Mathieu van der Poel’s 2025 season was heavily affected by pneumonia, forcing him to abandon the Tour de France before stage 16. He subsequently focused on recovery and a return to mountain biking with targets including the MTB World Championships in Switzerland later in 2025.[2][3][4]
- He did make a return to racing at an exhibition event in the Netherlands (Profronde Etten-Leur) after his pneumonia, marking his first race since leaving the Tour, and the event was positioned as a showcase ahead of a reduced road-racing schedule.[1]
- As of late 2025, his broader competitive plan emphasized mountain biking rather than the road calendar, with attention on MTB Worlds and potential re-engagement with road racing in 2026 depending on health and form. Public reporting highlighted that the focus would be on MTB events and that road Worlds/Vuelta a España were not currently on his immediate schedule.[3][1][2]
If you want, I can search for the very latest updates now and summarize any new results or statements from his team.