🎥 Serious consequences for van der Poel after crashes: Hand fracture, Dauphiné participation unsure

He returned to mountain biking after a year and a half in Nove Mesto, but his comeback has been anything but smooth. Due to his distant starting position, Van der Poel had to come from behind, which prompted the Dutchman to immediately try to push forward. In doing so, he collided with another rider, resulting in a first crash.

Van der Poel continued on his way without too much damage, but after a short time, we saw the Dutchman on the ground again. He had crashed again during a jump, this time much harder. With an open knee, open elbow, and torn pants, he continued on his way. A good result seems unlikely today.

Not long after the second crash (see images below), we saw the Dutchman standing still next to the course, making it clear that he would not continue the race. This brought Van der Poel's mountain bike comeback to an early end. His teammate Sam Gaze also had to abandon the race after a crash.

Afterward, Alpecin-Deceuninck reported via an Instagram story that the team was taking both riders to the hospital for further examination, according to Sporza in Herentals, Belgium. The extent of Van der Poel and Gaze's injuries is still unclear, but there are fears that they may be severe. Bad news is expected, and the injuries may be more serious than initially thought.

Van der Poel is preparing for the Tour de France. After the classics, the world cyclo-cross champion has been able to prepare well for the period ahead. "I'm happy with my form, but it's not quite there yet," he said earlier. 'I won't start thinking specifically about mountain biking until after the Tour. Van der Poel explains that there will be a few events before the Grand Départ in Lille. "On Monday, I will leave with the team for our regular altitude training camp in La Plagne, and then I will ride the Critérium du Dauphiné in preparation for the Tour de France."

It remains to be seen how serious van der Poel's injuries are. In the first crash, he collided with David Valero. The Spaniard also hit the ground hard and was visibly shaken. Afterward, he took out his frustration on the Dutchman. "I'm disappointed with today's race,” he said on social media. “Especially with some riders who don't respect their colleagues because of who they are." Harsh words for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider.

One day after his accident, Alpecin-Deceuninck released a medical update on van der Poel. "Following his double crash during Sunday's WHOOP UCI MTB World Series in Nové Město, Mathieu van der Poel has been diagnosed with a minor avulsion fracture of the scaphoid bone, indicative of ligament damage to the wrist," the Belgian team said in a press statement.

How and when Van der Poel will return to cycling is still unclear: that depends on how the injury heals. "For the time being, it is too early to give a definitive recovery time or outline what the coming weeks will look like. As a result, Mathieu will not travel to La Plagne for the first days of a high-altitude training camp. The injury will be monitored closely and intensively this week, and by the end of the week—after a new check-up—there may be more clarity about his program and whether or not he will participate in the Dauphiné."