Alpecin Phoenix announced that Mathieu Van Der Pol has been forced to rest for an unspecified period of time after a back injury suffered earlier this season recurred during Monday's Superprestige round at Heusden Zolder.

Van der Pol did well in his 'cross debut in Dendermonde on Sunday, finishing second behind Wout Van Aert, but despite a fast start in Zolder, he quickly dropped out of the lead group and exited the race after 45 minutes.

Alpecin Phoenix said that after a medical checkup he has "swelling in his discs" and is unsure when he will be able to resume training and racing. He will not be available for the start of the Azencross in Rauenhout on Thursday and will also miss the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst on February 2.

Van der Pol will see his doctor again "soon after the new year" to determine his schedule for next month. [Alpecin Phoenix coach Christophe Roudhoft said, "It's obviously a setback, but there's no need to panic. 'The doctors have assured me that I will make a full recovery and that is my priority right now. Even if that means adjusting our cyclocross world championship ambitions. It is unfortunate in the short term, but there are many sporting challenges ahead in 2022.

Van der Pol suffered back pain for much of the season and reportedly attributed the injury to switching between road and mountain bikes in order to juggle an ambitious road campaign and Olympic preparations. After finishing second in the Tour de Flanders, he competed twice in the MTB World Cup and returned to road biking in the Tour de Suisse and Tour de France.

He crashed heavily in the men's cross-country medal event, cutting out of the high altitude training camp early in August and delaying his return to the road due to a back injury, but recovered to finish the season with a third place in Paris-Roubaix. The relapse was another setback for the Dutchman.

"The problem has been there for some time and I am a little relieved that we have identified a cause that can be remedied with rest and treatment. Everyone knows that the World Championships in the U.S. is the first major goal for 2022.

"I want to fully recover first without any time pressure so that I can reach my full potential. So I will resume competing when I am fully ready. If I can make it to the World Championships, then all the better. Otherwise, I am looking forward to the spring road season."