Despite making some initial progress with respect to his Achilles tendon injury, Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen will be forced to miss this Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix. Initially the team had hoped that their decision for him to skip last weekend’s Tour of Flanders would mean the young Norwegian would recover in time for the “Hell of the North”.
“We’ve assessed the situation regarding Edvald’s injury from all possible angles after his two weeks of intensive treatment in Belgium and the conclusion is clear: he is not completely ready to race Paris-Roubaix,” explained Team Principal Dave Brailsford.
Boasson Hagen’s troubles started following Milan-Sanremo, the team’s first major Classic. Stomach problems kept him out of contention, but the nearly 300 kilometer event took its toll on the 22-year-old leading to injury.
“The most important thing, both long and short term, is Edvald’s health and we would under no circumstances let him ride with an injury of this type, even if he would able to compete in the race. He’ll now have a significant amount of time to receive treatment, working with our team of doctors and physioterapists, to get properly back on track for his next big goal, the Tour de France”, says Brailsford.
Just like in the Tour of Flanders, Team Sky will replace him with sprinter Greg Henderson in Paris-Roubaix. Boasson Hagen's next scheduled race will be the Tour de Picardie, which takes place from May 14th to the 16th.
“I was really hoping to get ready for Roubaix and I’m thankful for the great effort the team has put into my rehabilitation. I stayed in Belgium with the team because we wanted to keep the decision open until today. Since I still have pain when I’m riding harder training rides, it’s not realistic to go to one of the toughest races of the season. It’s not easy to accept, but I’m very positive about overcoming this injury quickly and building to be a 100% ready for the Tour”, added Boasson Hagen.