Last year's winner of the Brabantse Pijl, Sylvain Chavanel, will not be defending his title at the event held this coming Sunday in Belgium. Because of a light cold, the Frenchman from Quick Step preferred to skip the one-day race in order to prepare for the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 5.
Chavanel will nevertheless race the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen on Saturday before returning back home next week. Despite his cold, the Quick Step leader finished seventh in the Dwars Door Vlaanderen on Wednesday - another event he won last year.
