The Belgian Quick Step team will take on its home tour this week’s without the service of sprinter Wouter Weylandt. The 25-year-old has still not fully recovered from the gastroenteritis that saw him withdraw from the Giro d’Italia. On his return to Gent, Belgium he was hospitalised due to resultant dehydration. Although he has since been released from hospital, Weylandt has only resumed light training with 2-hour rides on the road.
“I'm still a little tired and weak from gastroenteritis,” said Weylandt. “Together with the medical staff of the team we decided to [not] take part to the Tour of Belgium to recover 100% before [getting] back to the competition.”
The Belgian won the third stage of the Giro d’Italia between Amsterdam and Middelberg, Netherlands to take his first victory of the season. In 2007 he won the first stage of the Tour of Belgium, taking the race-leaders jersey for a day.
The team’s big star sprinter Tom Boonen, the race-winner in 2005, has never been scheduled to ride the race, having recently returned to Europe after crashing in, and abandoning, the Tour of California.
In the absence of a big-name sprinter, the team will likely work towards a second overall victory for 2008 winner Stijn Devolder. The two-time Ronde van Vlaanderen winner has been short on results recently and has been under pressure from team management.
Quick Step team for the Tour of Belgium:
Kevin De Weert, Dries Devenyns, Stijn Devolder, Iljio Keisse, Thomas Kvist, Andrei Kunitski, Kevin Seeldraeyers and Kevin van Impe