Van der Poel out of Tour de France with pneumonia

Mathieu van der Poel has been forced to abandon the Tour de France due to pneumonia, his team Alpecin–Deceuninck said on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Dutchman was 62nd in the Tour standings after stage 15.

"Mathieu had been experiencing symptoms of a common cold over the past few days. Yesterday afternoon, his condition began to worsen significantly ...," Alpecin–Deceuninck said in a statement.

"Medical tests revealed that Mathieu is suffering from pneumonia. In consultation with the medical staff, it was decided that he can no longer continue the race. His health is the top priority, and rest and recovery are now essential."

Stage 16 of the Tour, a 171.5km ride from Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, begins later on Tuesday.