Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel has abandoned the 2025 Tour de France after being diagnosed with pneumonia, his Alpecin-Deceuninck team said on Tuesday. The 30-year-old did not start Stage 16 from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux following a hospital examination in Narbonne that confirmed the illness. Van der Poel had reported cold-like symptoms in recent days, which worsened on Monday afternoon as he developed a fever. Team doctors decided that his health required at least a week of complete rest, with further medical checks to follow before any return to competition. The former world champion had been one of the race’s standout performers, winning the second stage in Boulogne-sur-Mer, wearing the yellow jersey for four days and sitting third in the points classification with 210 points. His exit removes a leading contender for the green jersey and deprives the Tour of one of its most aggressive attackers as the peloton heads into the decisive mountain stages.