Did pollen allergy hinder Evenepoel at the Dauphiné? "The team is aware of the issue now"

After the finish on Mont-Cenis, a sneezing Evenepoel was seen in front of the cameras of VTM. "I shouldn't underestimate the pollen's impact on me," he said after finishing fifth in the day's stage. It wasn't just the allergic reactions that affected the two-time Olympic champion's performance. "My crash also meant that I wasn't really at 100% for two days."

Evenepoel feels that not much has changed compared to last year. In the Dauphiné, he won the time trial, crashed while wearing the yellow jersey, and finished seventh in the GC. "It was literally a copy-paste of last year. The two best climbers rode away a little bit today, but they weren't very far ahead of me. Overall, the feeling is positive. Now I just need to stay calm and keep working."

The allergy has been a problem all his life. "I've had pollen allergies since I was little," Evenepoel told Het Laatste Nieuws. "As a child, I even had severe asthma attacks. I take medication for it, but I've had problems in the Dauphiné for two years in a row now. It starts with my nose, then it goes down to my airways. You get mucus everywhere, and everything gets a bit stuck."

It is precisely in the Dauphiné that the Belgian suffers. No wonder he still finished third in last year's Tour de France after a mediocre preparation. But it's not just the outdoor air that affects Evenepoel's airways. "We've also stayed in many hotels with carpets, which hasn't helped either. I hope the pollen count will be lower in the Tour."

How much does an allergy like this affect the life of a top athlete? Kris van der Mieren is a doctor with the Belgian Cycling Federation and works closely with the world time trial champion. "Often, an allergy like this only really comes to light during intense athletic performance," he explains. "Pollen allergies irritate the airways and make it harder for them to open up. This reduces the flow of air, which means less oxygen reaches the lungs and muscles."

That's a big problem. As an athlete, maximum airflow is essential for performance, especially during long periods of exertion. "If it's restricted, less oxygen reaches the muscles, which immediately impacts your exercise capacity."

Many people suffer from pollen allergies, but Van der Mieren's explanation shows that athletes can be affected even more. "In everyday life, people rarely reach their maximum physical capacity. But this happens all the time in sports such as cycling, athletics, or soccer. As a result, such conditions are more noticeable." Sometimes, it even depends on the location. "We've seen cyclists who had no problems until they raced in a specific region. Certain pollen types float in the air there that trigger the symptoms."

The symptoms vary from rider to rider, but they can significantly impact at their worst. Shortness of breath is common, but hyperventilation and asthma attacks are also possible symptoms. "If you're on your bike and suddenly lose half your capacity, it's simply impossible to keep racing at the same level, and you're guaranteed to fall behind," says the Belgian doctor.

The explanation would seem to indicate a hopeless situation, but Van der Mieren emphasizes that there are solutions to this common problem. ”There are various ways to control pollen allergies. This can be done with antihistamines inhibiting histamine release or inhalation medication such as puffers. Both are permitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and are frequently used in the peloton.

Evenepoel should not fear that his performance in the Tour de France will be affected. "It certainly doesn't have to be a hindrance to his performance. The team is aware of the issue now and can anticipate it. With the right diagnosis and preventive treatment – such as antihistamines and aerosols – this can be controlled."