Matti Breschel (Rabobank) chats with race leader Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Matti Breschel's Spring Classics season may be endangered by the recurrence of knee pain following off-season surgery. The Danish rider for Rabobank had to abandon the Tour of the Algarve Friday after only six kilometres.
"It's the same old song. I got a sore knee on today's stage, so there was nothing else to do but stand down,” he told Sporten.dk.
“I don't know how bad it is yet,” he said. He will have it examined again by the doctor. “It is too early and difficult to predict anything about it right now. But it hurts, and it's damn annoying.”
Sport director Adri van Houwelingen said the news put a damper on the day. "We had previously hoped that he could work on his condition here without pain. This recovery however is now stopped. How terrible it is, I can not say. The pain occurs or in the same knee, but according Breschel, not the same pain.”
Breschel, 26, rode for Saxo Bank last season, and underwent surgery on his left knee last November. He signed with Rabobank to lead the Dutch team in the Spring Classics, which he knew would be jeopardized by the surgery.
Late last month he told Cyclingnews that he would ride the Classics anyway, even if not in perfect shape. Of course, I can't rush it too much and just have to take the time to recover."
He won Dwars door Vlaanderen – Wevelgem last year.
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