Australian national road champion, Russell Van Hout, has been fighting a case of conjunctivitis lately, forcing him to miss the recent Tour of the Southern Grampians, a four-stage tour held in country Victoria. Van Hout was the star attraction of the race, and although organisers were disappointed the national champion's jersey wasn't on display for fans, they wished him a speedy recovery.
Riding for new Continental team Savings & Loans, Van Hout will now miss the opening round of the Australian road series, the Canberra Tour, to be held on April 21-23 due to a lack of fitness associated with the forced layoff, but returns to racing in the Mt Gambier 100 Mile Classic that same weekend. Meanwhile, team management are pleased with the performance of Olympic gold medallist Brett Aitken, who made his comeback at the Tour of the Southern Grampians and showed good speed during the event.
