"I haven't cycled in recent days, that doesn't make you a nicer person at home either" - Wout Poels Tour de France in doubt after illness puts halt to his preparations

Wout Poels was expected to be a key part of the Bahrain - Victorious lineup at the Tour de France in aid of Mikel Landa. After illness put his training camp on hold however, time is ticking for Poels to prove his fitness.

"It actually went really well, until halfway through the altitude camp," Poels has revealed on his podcast In Koers. "I started having bowel problems, had to go to the toilet more often... things like that. Then I actually didn't recover anymore, which is difficult at altitude anyway. I was actually glad I could go home again."

Initially, Poels had intended to participate in the Critérium du Dauphiné. However, the illness he suffered ruled him out of the race. With the Tour de France quickly approaching, Poels now has a decision to make regarding how he takes his preparation.

"It's not all ideal. Normally I would ride the Dauphiné, but I just couldn't go there. You still have the Tours of Switzerland and Slovenia, but they already start next week. It really depends on next week, how things actually go on the bike," he explains. "The past few days I haven't cycled, that doesn't make you a nicer person at home either. Then you just sit and think, because you want to feel fitter. And then that doesn't happen, so you just have to wait and wait and wait. And then the days are long."