Vacansoleil rider will miss Race to the Sun, hopes he could possibly be ready for Tirreno-Adriatico
Heading into the Race to the Sun, which starts Sunday with a 155 kilometer opening stage to Houdan, Dutch ProTeam, Vacansoleil, will be without one of their top riders, Johnny Hoogerland.
The aggressive all-around talent has had to give up his hopes of competing in this year's Paris-Nice because of a bout with the flu.
"Tuesday, I came back from a quiet workout with muscle soreness, that was an omen, and soon after, I was in bed with the flu. I hope now to take part in Tirreno-Adriatico, but I will see the team doctor [about what I will do next]," said the Dutchman on his team's website.
Despite the loss of a big opportunity for a rider like Hoogerland in a race perfectly suited to his abilities, the 2009 Vuelta a España 12th overall finisher knows that his main season goals are still a little ways off. He's not worried about the loss of Paris-Nice to his preparation timeline for his first main highlights of 2011 - the Ardennes Classics.
"Anyhow, I'll race in Catalunya and the Basque Country to prepare for the hilly classics. The season is long, and I am therefore confident that even if I'm forced to take it easy for a little bit, I'll be fit again soon."
Hoogerland's spot will be filled by 24 year old Dutchman, Rob Ruijgh. Whil Ruijgh is a solid rider in his own right, Hoogerland will be difficult to replace. For the scandal ridden Dutch team, a major victory would be a godsend right now, but they'll have to hope that the likes of their cobbled power pairing of Leukemans and Devolder, or fastman Romain Feillu, or all-arounder Matteo Carrara, can sort out a solid result for the team.
Vacansoleil will still field a solid team for the upcoming Paris-Nice:
Matteo Carrara, Thomas DeGendt, Stijn Devolder, Romain Feillu, Rob Ruijgh, Sergey Lagutin, Björn Leukemans, and Lieuwe Westra.