TNT Sports
Depleted Discovery
By
Published 21/03/2005 at 16:12 GMT
While Lance Armstrong is certain to make his return in next week's Paris-Camembert, Discovery Channel team-mates George Hincapie and Max van Heeswijk are both on the mend after pulling out of Milan-San Remo while Leif Hoste crashed hard in the race and nu
Eurosport
Image credit: TNT Sports
"It's a bit unlucky because we had a team that wasn't bad for the classics," Discovery Channel sporting director Dirk Demol told eurosport.com on Monday.
Dutchman Van Heeswijk pulled out of San Remo because of a toothache that became a sinus infection. He's back on the bike and is penciled in to race this weekend.
Hincapie, the team leader for the Belgian classics, is more of a worry.
The New Yorker woke up on the morning of the race in Milan with the flu and a fever and still wasn't well enough to train on Monday.
"Three days is not too serious. I'm not panicking yet, but beyond two or three days..." said Demol.
LANCE IN THE SADDLE
Armstrong, who pulled out of Paris-Nice feeling under the weather, was due to race in this Sunday's Brabantse Pijl, but he'll most probably instead save his strength for the following Tuesday in Normandy.
"There's maybe a one-percent chance he'll do the Brabantse Pijl," said Demol adding that Viatcheslav Ekimov would lead the squad in that race.
As for the six-time Tour de France winner's role in the second major classic of the season, Demol is clear: the Texan will be riding for Hincapie:
"Armstrong is much better but he's not yet ready to play role in the finale."
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