Cyril Dessel (AG2R La Mondiale) has been forced to pull out of next week’s Tour de San Luis, in Argentina, as he is suffering from a acute prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland. The 36-year-old Frenchman has been advised by the team’s doctor to stay off his bike completely for 45 days.
“It is a hassle because I’ve prepared myself well this winter and I had ambitions for the early races of the year,” said Dessel. “Despite this, I’m still confident that I can have a beautiful season, I simply have to heal properly now so I don’t have any further problems.”
Dessel is most famous for spending a day in the yellow jersey during the 2006 Tour de France, and then finishing in sixth place overall. Like many Frenchmen of his generation though, he has been unable to live up to that promise, and has been eclipsed in the team by other riders like cyclocross specialist John Gadret, Irishman Nicolas Roche and Italian Rinaldo Nocentini.
Although he won a stage of the 2008 Tour, he failed to finish in 2007 and 2009; after not being selected for the AG2R La Mondiale Tour team last year he has changed his focus to another Grand Tour.
“My goal is still the Giro [d’Italia],” the Frenchman explained, “and so it’s preferable that this happened to me today rather than a week before the start of the race! Now, it still leaves me time to build my power for the Tour of Italy and racing that follow.
While his condition has put paid to his early season ambitions, Dessel is still confident that he can have a good 2011.
“Even though it is a blow,” he added, “I know that all is not lost and I remain focused.”
AG2R La Mondiale for the Tour de San Luis:
Julien Berard, Guillaume Bonnafond, Ben Gastauer, Sébastien Hinault, David Le Lay and Matteo Montaguti