Former winner Jelle Wallays is absent from Dwars door Vlaanderen after breathing problems

The Frenchman Pierre Luc Perichon is also not there in Dwars door Vlaanderen. He will be replaced by his compatriot Alex Zingle.

“Jelle Wallays had some problems in Gent-Wevelgem,” explained sports director Thierry Marichal. “He was on the attack but then disappeared from the front of the race with breathing problems. The race doctor thought it was advisable to have Wallays admitted to hospital. Numerous tests were done there, but apparently the problem was not as big as it was initially seemed.”

“However, we do not take any risks with our riders and are happy that the medical check-up turned out positive,” Marichal continued. “We will keep Jelle aside for a while. He is back on the bike, training, but we are waiting to bring him back into competition. He is now completing an adjusted training schedule. Before Gent-Wevelgem, Wallays was still involved in a crash, but those injuries did not prevent him from racing last Sunday. Whether he can be used for the Tour of Flanders? We are monitoring his medical condition day by day. It is still too early to say whether he will be able to race on Sunday starting in Bruges. But that possibility does exist.”