Freire to ride Brabantse Pijl

Rabobank sprinter and reigning world champion Oscar Freire will ride March 27's Brabantse Pijl, organizers have announced. Lance Armstrong is expected to decide by the end of the week whether he'll continue his Spring campaign at Brabantse Pijl after pulling out of Paris-nice last week due to illness.

This year's race will comprise a single large loop of the Waals-Brabant region, followed by five smaller loops of a finishing circuit, taking in the Bruineput, the Lindeberg and the Alsemberg which will also be the finish.