Yet another confirmation of the heavy overload by combining cyclocross, mountainebike and road running. by Bombeke, the physiotherapist of Vdp himself.
Translated from Dutch :
"The injury.... is actually the result of the many attacks he has committed on his body. From mountain biking to cycling on the road, to cyclocross and also BMX in the past. His body is now paying the price.”
I can add myself that Vdp also does motocross recreationally.
And Bombeke continues..... "Mathieu van der Poel's back problems started this summer. During the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Van der Poel fell heavily, but that is certainly not the main cause of all the pain". And.... "He started to have some trouble during the Tour, and then made a long trip to Tokyo. Then he again got relatively little rest and he had to start building up to the World Championship. In itself it is not so illogical that he still suffers from that.” And..... "in cyclocross, such an injury is put under much more pressure. He came from a very intensive trainingperiod, and then did really taxing cyclocrossraces. Had he started a road season, this problem probably wouldn't have resurfaced".
So, I hope that those who were not convinced or even claimed the opposite, admit that overload and combining different
back straining disciplines during the same season, is "a mortgage" on a beautiful and long sports career. And the real sports enthusiasts now hope that Vdp itself and his supervisors will see that.