Quick-Step rider Kevin De Weert is taking a break from racing to allow a niggling knee problem to heal. De Weert fell on his right knee in Dwars door Vlaanderen on March 23 and while he was able to ride Brabantse Pijl four days later without problems, he developed pain in the joint while on a March 30 reconnaissance ride for the Tour of Flanders. He was told by his doctor to rest before Vuelta al Pais Vasco but began to feel pain again in the final time trial.
The problem flared up again at Amstel Gold (April 17) and so De Weert gave Fleche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège a miss. He has now decided to also skip the Giro d'Italia to give the problem joint a chance to fully heal.
