Mathieu van der Poel struggling at the Tour de France: "I've had to take antibiotics for three days"

It's fair to say that the 2023 Tour de France has been something of an underwhelming affair for Mathieu van der Poel. One of the most naturally talented riders of his generation, the Dutchman has worked mainly as a lead out man for teammate Jasper Philipsen.

Over the second week in particular, things were a struggle van der Poel. Battling a persistent cough, the Alpecin-Deceuninck star has been unable to turn any of his appearances in the breakaway into a Tour de France stage win. "On the rest day, I stayed in bed all day to recover, and even now, apart from the time trial, I've been resting," he says. "Hopefully, it will get a little bit better in the coming days. I also had to take antibiotics for three days. That's never good for the body, and I can feel that now."

Nevertheless, van der Poel remains optimistic as the race head's into it's final week that there will still be a chance for victory. "It's getting slightly better than before, and hopefully, it will continue to improve," he optimistically explains. "The second week wasn't easy either, so in that regard, I've managed quite well so far. It's not like there are stages perfectly suited for me in the final week."

With the World Championships taking place in Glasgow hot on the heels of the ending of the Tour de France, could this persistent illness continue to plague van der Poel? "I'm not seriously ill, but I'm bothered enough by this cough. And that's very annoying."