"Suddenly I had a lot of back pain" - Past fears emerge for Mathieu van der Poel after defeat in Koksijde

Mathieu van der Poel was unable to secure the top spot at the X2O Trofee Koksijde and had to be content with silver. The Dutchman later revealed his previous back problems were playing up again.

"I suddenly had a lot of back pain again, so that does suck. But there's nothing to do about that. I felt it pretty soon. I do think it's a shame because I was looking forward to this. van der Poel said in the post-race interview.

He further added, “It was one of the crosses I had been looking forward to. I did feel pretty good, and my legs did too. But at one point, I could hardly get one foot in front of the other."

Last winter, Van der Poel's racing career was greatly impacted by his back problems. However, through diligent exercise and a focus on his physical therapy, he was able to return to a place of good health."It has actually gone pretty well this cyclocross season too. I don't really understand why it did flare up today. We have been evenly matched in the last five cyclo-crosses, that should actually have been the case today, too if you continue the line. But I couldn't give up today.”

Although he hopes to perform at his best at the Zonhoven World Cup, Van der Poel's back problems may potentially obstruct his plans and impact his performance. "I am a bit worried about that, but it will be fine. Loosen up well tomorrow and then give my best again on Sunday,” concluded the Dutchman.