Rabobank rider Sebastian Langeveld was forced to head home early from Mallorca on Tuesday morning due to knee problems. The promising young classics specialist will undergo an MRI in the coming days to determine the root cause of his issue.
"We decided to assume the worst," explained sports director Erik Dekker.
With the loss of Juan Antonio Flecha to Team Sky, Langeveld will be expected to play a major role in Rabobank's 2010 Classics campaign. He will ride alongside team leaders Nick Nuyens and Oscar Freire as they work to pull a surprise in the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix.
"It is best to do a more thorough examination. Spring is fast approaching," he added.
Langeveld was set to take part in the Mallorca Challenge this week, but when he arrived on the island he noticed some pain on the side of his knee during the first couple of days training. Tuesday morning doctors performed a small test that showed the Dutchman's condition was improving. This isn't the first time the young Dutchman has suffered from knee problems, so the team decided it was best to play it safe and send him home to the Netherlands for further tests.