Bad news for Team Picnic PostNL and all fantasy cycling fans: Max Poole will not participate in the 2025 Vuelta a España due to being diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and mononucleosis.

The 22-year-old Briton, who impressed with a brilliant 11th-place finish at this year's Giro d'Italia, was preparing to captain the team at the Vuelta a España, but encountered health problems during his preparations. The team confirmed that the rider wasn't responding well to training and was forced to withdraw from the recent Tour de Pologne.

Team doctor Camiel Aldershof explained: "We've been investigating the possible causes of Max's health problems over the past few weeks, and today we confirmed the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus with mononucleosis. Unfortunately, this means he will need a longer period of rest while we work to restore him to full health."

For fantasy cycling, this is a significant loss considering Poole's potential in stage races. The rider commented:

"I'm relieved to finally understand the cause of the problem, although I'm very disappointed to have to give up the Vuelta. Now I can focus on recovery."

The Epstein-Barr virus can require a long and variable recovery time – as demonstrated by the case of Mark Cavendish in 2017 – and it cannot be ruled out that Poole's 2025 season may already be over.