Fabian Cancellara may not be in contention for the win on Friday's 9.8km time trial to start the Giro d'Italia, with the Swiss rider revealing he's been struck down with a fever just one day before the race.
Wearing the maglia rosa was one of Cancellara's main goals in his final season, but the the seven-time monument winner will reportedly spend all of Thursday in bed trying to shake his illness ahead of Friday's first stage.
Trek-Segafredo manager Luca Guercilena confirmed to Cycling Weekly that the 35-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, felt achey after yesterday's training ride and it has developed into a full-blown fever.
>>> Fabian Cancellara exclusive: I’ve won time trials before when I’ve felt bad
"The only thing we can do right now is to let him rest, see how he is today and then tomorrow," he said. "Sometimes when you completely clean the body with gastroenteritis then you get better, you feel really strong because from completely empty you start to fill up the tank with energy.
"That can be useful on a medium term view, but on a short prologue of 9km when you need the power, you need the speed, it’s more complicated."
>>> Five bold predictions for the 2016 Giro d’Italia
He added: "It’s not the ideal situation, we came here just to win the prologue and he wanted that pink jersey, and now the motivation is not so good, for everybody, because we worked hard to make him good for the TT."
Cancellara has never won a stage at the Giro d'Italia and was targeting the opening time trial for his first pink jersey. Should he recover fully from his fever, he will surely be one of the favourites for the long, technical time trial on stage nine.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
'It's the ultimate drop bar bike' - Mosaic Cycles introduces new RT-1 model
Mosaic, the builders of custom titanium dream bikes, today unveiled a "sleeker, more capable" version of its flagship road racer, the RT-1
-
Cannondale Topstone loses 160g with new Lab71 edition
American bike brand gives its flagship gravel bike the high-end carbon treatment
-
‘She said she wanted to cry’ - Elisa Longo Borghini lauds team-mate after dominant Jebel Hafeet win
The Italian duo rode clear of the peloton at the UAE Tour to take a memorable one-two
-
All the 2023 kits: EF Education-EasyPost share latest collaboration with Rapha
American WorldTour team become latest to release their new 2023 kit, here's the rest
-
Van Vleuten confirms her superiority with Ceratizit Challenge GC victory
Elisa Balsamo takes the final stage bunch kick on the Madrid circuit after consummate work from Trek-Segafredo
-
Trek-Segafredo win the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta team time trial
Elisa Longo Borghini led the American squad home and will take the leader's red jersey into the remaining four stages
-
Fred Wright ‘gutted’ but still smiling after second place on Tour de France stage 13
Londoner missed out to classics specialist Mads Pedersen
-
No Covid positives at Tour de France after testing, 165 riders head into second week
All riders return negative covid tests done on Sunday evening
-
'I just come out at every race swinging': Simon Clarke achieves childhood dream with Tour de France stage win after winter of contract fears
Australian was without a team coming into the season
-
World champion Balsamo takes her second stage at the Giro Donne
The race’s third sprint finish saw the same three women contest for honours in Reggio Emilia
