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Kreuziger pulls out of world championships

By José Been

published 25 September 2013

Czech rider calls a halt to his season

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Roman Kreuziger (Saxo-Tinkoff) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Roman Kreuziger was spent after an early break attempt (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Roman Kreuziger will not ride the world championships road race on Sunday. The Czech rider doesn’t feel fit enough for the 272 kilometre long race and has announced that he will not race again this season.

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“I have been training in Italy last week but my form is not improving. It’s no use just to ride this race when I can’t have a good result,” Kreuziger said, according to Tuttobici.

Kreuziger enjoyed a successful debut season at Saxo-Tinkoff, winning Amstel Gold Race in April and finishing fifth overall at the Tour de France. He also claimed third at the Tour de Suisse overall and the Clasica San Sebastian. Kreuziger subsequently started the Vuelta a España, abandoning on stage 14 in order to prepare for the Worlds.

“I kept training in Italy but my condition wasn’t what it should have been. I worked a lot but I’m not in form, so it’s better to pull out. I spoke about it with [Saxo-Tinkoff manager] Bjarne [Riis]. He said I should stop if I didn’t feel up to it, so my season ends here,” Kreuziger said.

Martin Hunal of Sparta Prague will take Kreuziger’s place in Czech line-up. The team also consists of Omega Pharma–Quick Step’s Zdenek Stybar and Frantisek Rabon, Netapp-Endura’s Leopold König and Jan Barta, BMC stagiaire Jakub Novak,, and Stanislav Kozubek of Bauknecht.