Mathieu van der Poel appears to have broken a rib during his fall in the Loenhout cyclocross at the end of December. It was previously thought that there were bruised ribs. The cyclo-cross world champion therefore canceled his participation in the World Cup Cross in Dendermonde at the beginning of this month.
Van der Poel was injured in a fall during the Loenhout cross. His team Alpecin-Deceuninck then reported that he had bruised his ribs. It now appears that Van der Poel was in a slightly worse condition.
“That rib is indeed broken. It has not completely grown together yet,” Van der Poel said on Saturday at the Flemish TV channel Sporza, prior to the Maasmechelen World Cup cross. “It’s unpleasant to cycle around, but it’s doable.”
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Van der Poel makes his return in Maasmechelen after four weeks of absence. With his injury, he still rode the World Cup cyclo-cross of Besançon on December 29, where he recorded his fifth victory in as many competitions.
“This is also a test for me. Things are going well on the road. My condition itself is good. But a cross still gives quite an impact. The reconnaissance was not too bad, so hopefully the race will be too,” said the world champion. who will defend his world title next week in Liévin, France.