Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 12:27 pm
Big setback for Lotto Dstny: Maxim van Gils will not play for the Belgian title in and around Zottegem today. The 24-year-old contestant doesn’t feel quite fit and has to pull out at the last minute. His teammate Harm Vanhoucke will also not participate due to illness.
It’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially for Van Giles, as he was seen as one of the favorites to wear the Belgian tri-colour. In the first months of the season, the young rider was in excellent form with the necessary honors, but also victories in Ruta del Sol, Eschborn-Frankfurt and GB Canton Aargau.
His Lotto Dstny team will now focus more on sprint racing, as it also has a pure finisher in its ranks with Arnaud De Lie. However, the powerful Walloon sprinter will have to take into account Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Wout van Aert, Thibaut Nys, Jordi Meeus and Jasper Stuyven.
To return to Van Giles: The Lotto rider Dstny is not the first top-class rider to have to withdraw from the Belgian title fight due to illness. Remco Evenepoel had to withdraw two days ago due to a cold, and new time trial champion Tim Wellens is not fit enough to take part.
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