Professional cyclist John Degenkolb refrains from competing in the first major spring classic Milan-Sanremo on Saturday for health reasons. The 2015 Primavera winner is still suffering the consequences of bronchitis, which he contracted during last week’s Paris-Nice long-distance trip. Degenkolb hopes to be able to start training again at the end of this week.
“As hard as it is for me, I have to cancel for the race. I’m not in a position to ride completely at the front,”Degenkolb told SID on Wednesday. The 29-year-old suffers above all from sinusitis, which makes it difficult to breathe.
“The classic season is still long, and these races are extremely important to me. I don’t want to put that at risk when I go to the start,”said Degenkolb, who triumphed three years ago in Paris-Roubaix as well as Milan-Sanremo.
The professional from the American team Trek-Segafredo is planning his next start at the Belgian E3 Prijs in Harelbeke (23rd place). March), then the tour of Flanders (1. April) and the Queen of Classics after Roubaix (8. I have a stable base from the winter, so I am confident that I can get back on my feet relatively quickly,”said Degenkolb.
From a German point of view, Andre Greipel (Rostock/Lotto-Soudal) in particular could now achieve a top result at the Classicissima on Saturday. Marcel Kittel (Arnstadt/Katusha-Alpecin) will also be competing for the first time in the season’s longest one-day race of over 290 km.