OFFICIAL | Mathieu van der Poel announced for first race since Tour de France abandon

Mathieu van der Poel is set to make his long-awaited return to racing at the 2025 Renewi Tour, marking his first competitive appearance since withdrawing from this year’s Tour de France due to pneumonia. Now fully recovered, the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader will headline the team’s lineup for the five-day Belgian-Dutch WorldTour stage race running from August 20 to 24 — overlapping with the Vuelta a España’s Grand Départ on August 23.

The Renewi Tour confirmed Van der Poel’s participation via social media: “MVDP returns! 🔥 Stage and overall winner in 2020, and a fan favourite wherever he races. @mathieuvdpoel will be at the start of the Renewi Tour 2025. Get ready to see him in action again from next week!”

Van der Poel has a strong history with the race, having claimed both a stage win and the overall title in 2020 — a performance that helped cement his reputation as a generational all-rounder. Speaking ahead of his return, he reflected on both that past success and last year’s frustrations: “I have good memories of the Renewi Tour, especially my victory in 2020. Last year I was in a good position, until knee pain after a near-crash in the time trial unfortunately forced me to skip the final stage.”

The Dutchman had been enjoying a highly visible Tour de France campaign this summer, animating breakaways, winning a stage, and even wearing the yellow jersey for multiple days. But a sudden bout of pneumonia ended his ambitions mid-race, forcing an early withdrawal just as he looked poised to contend deeper into the race. “This summer I haven’t raced since abandoning the Tour de France, so it’s a bit of a question how the form is,” Van der Poel admitted. “But the course suits me. Especially the stage finishing in Geraardsbergen on the third day is one I have marked in red.”

That stage — featuring the iconic Muur van Geraardsbergen — is tailor-made for his explosive, classics-style riding, especially after a spring that saw him win both Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix. Though his form may be untested, the parcours could offer Van der Poel the perfect terrain to rediscover race rhythm and deliver a statement performance ahead of the autumn classics or World Championships.

With Alpecin-Deceuninck building around their marquee rider, Van der Poel’s return is not just a boost for the team — it’s a major draw for the race itself, promising another high-octane chapter in his already storied career.