Max Poole was the intended GC leader for Picnic PostNL for the upcoming Vuelta a España, but the young British climber will not travel to Turin for the start of the three-week race. Tests have revealed that Poole is suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which means he will be unable to train or race for the foreseeable future.
In the lead-up to the Vuelta a España, the rider did not respond well to his training workload, his team announced in a press release. The situation worsened during the Tour of Poland, where he had to abandon the race for medical reasons to determine the possible cause. It has now been confirmed that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is responsible.
"It has been a difficult few weeks trying to understand what was going on, and I greatly appreciate the support I have received from the team during this period," Poole commented. "I am relieved that the cause is now clear, because it means I can focus on my recovery and getting my health back on track. Of course, I’m very disappointed to miss the Vuelta, but I wish the team all the best there."
"Max didn’t come out of the altitude camp as well as we had hoped. When his condition further deteriorated during Poland, we took him out of the race for medical reasons to conduct thorough examinations," added head coach Rudi Kemna. "Now that we know the full extent of his illness, our focus is entirely on his recovery and giving him the time and support he needs to get fully healthy again."
Team doctor Camiel Aldershof also spoke out. "Over the past weeks, we have investigated the possible causes of Max’s health problems, and today we received confirmation that he has the Epstein-Barr virus, which results in glandular fever. Unfortunately, this means he will need an extended period of rest while we work toward his full recovery. Now that we know the cause, we can take targeted steps in the right direction for his rehabilitation."
New setback
This is not the first time the 22-year-old Poole has faced physical setbacks. The promising climber broke his elbow in March 2024 in a crash at Tirreno-Adriatico, requiring around four months of rehabilitation. However, in the autumn of 2024, he made a strong comeback with several top finishes in the Vuelta a España and an overall win at the Tour de Langkawi.
Earlier this year, he again encountered misfortune: he broke his collarbone in a crash at Strade Bianche. A few months later, Poole redeemed himself by finishing eleventh overall in the Giro d'Italia.
Max Poole| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2027 | |
| 2026 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 |
