Belgian rider Nick Nuyens will be unable to defend his Tour of Flanders title after it was revealed on Tuesday he has suffered a slight fracture to his right hip. The 31-year-old suffered the injury when he fell during Sunday’s time-trial in the Paris-Nice race and scans on Tuesday revealed the extent of it, his Saxo Bank team announced. Nuyens must undergo at least two weeks rest before undergoing more scans prior to being given the green light to resume training.
“It is a huge blow both for me and the team,” said Nuyens. “I am very sad. I felt that in time I would have reached the peak form required to defend my title in the Tour of Flanders. “I know now that it is not possible. Falls are part of cycling, I have to accept that, but this accident couldn’t have come at a worse moment.” It is the latest blow for the Bjarne Riis-run outfit after their star rider Alberto Contador, who was slapped with a two-year doping ban in February although, being backdated, he will return to competition at the beginning of August. The team also risks losing its WorldTour (top division) licence with the sport’s governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) due to give its verdict in the coming weeks.
