Former race winner Cadel Evans won’t compete in Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne nor next Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with the Australian dropping out of those Ardennes Classics today.
His BMC Racing Team has said that Evans has been suffering from a sinus infection and that this was the reason for his withdrawal from yesterday’s Amstel Gold Race.
He had started that event pledging his support for Philippe Gilbert, but withdrew before the finale.
"Cadel has the Tour of Romandie coming in one week and with this infection, we don't want to take any risks," said the team’s doctor Max Testa today. "The weather won't be helpful – it's going to be rainy and cold here – so it was probably the best decision we could make in the interest of the health of the rider."
Evans has had a mixed season thus far, being far off last year’s victorious level in Tirreno Adriatico, but bouncing back in the Criterium International. He won the time trial plus the overall classification there.
Yesterday’s participation in the Amstel Gold Race was his first competitive event since the French stage race. That didn’t work out as well as he hoped and now, with a successful defence of his Tour de Romandie title being a target, he will concentrate on recovering his full health again and preparing at home.
Directeur Sportif John Lelangue believes that the team will be fine without him in the two remaining Ardennes Classic races. "We still have a good field around Philippe Gilbert and Greg Van Avermaet to make two good Ardennes races," he stated.
"Cadel was coming here with the objective to help them. That was always the plan. We know his main objective is in a few months in July. Therefore he has to make a good Tour of Romandie. It will be a good test in real stage race conditions – with a time trial, prologue and mountain stages."
After winning Flèche Wallonne in 2010, Evans missed the Ardennes Classics last year due to a training crash.
Meanwhile Gilbert is showing signs that he is returning to decent form after a very quiet early season. He was to the fore yesterday, leading the chase of Oscar Freire on the final climb of the Cauberg. He played a big part in bringing the Katusha rider back, but faded to place sixth.
Still, compared to his showings in other races this year, it’s a step forward for the Belgian.
He won Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year and will be encouraged by yesterday’s sensations.