Pozzato out of Flanders
Katusha’s Filippo Pozzato has pulled out of the Tour of Flanders one-day classic because of a lingering ailment, Gazzetta dello Sport reported Friday.
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Tour of Flanders Live on VeloNews.com
Sunday’s live coverage will be at velonews.com/live. Mobile users can follow along at this link, or by going to mobile.velonews.com and clicking on the live link there.Katusha’s Filippo Pozzato has pulled out of the Tour of Flanders one-day classic because of a lingering ailment, Gazzetta dello Sport reported Friday.
Pozzato, fifth in the race last year and runner-up in the 2009 Paris-Roubaix, still has a fever and has been suffering from diarrhea according to the report.
“The fever has come down a bit but I haven’t been able to eat anything and I feel physically flat,” said Pozzato. “The doctor advised total rest, so racing on Sunday was a no-go.”
Pozzato, one of the big favorites to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen, made the decision not to compete in the 262km race after consulting with Katusha manager Andrei Tchmil, a former winner of the race, on Friday morning.
Pozzato is now hoping he’ll be fit in time for next weekend’s Paris-Roubaix.
The “Ronde,” as locals like to call it, is the biggest one-day classic in Flemish-speaking Belgium and the second of cycling’s five ‘monuments’ in the season after Milan-San Remo.
Peppered with 15 short but steep climbs, many of which are cobbled, the Tour of Flanders usually takes a costly toll on the peloton.
