Briton Daniel Lloyd has been given a call-up to ride the Tour de France by the Cervelo Test Team after knee problems have forced Heinrich Haussler to withdraw from the start list.
Haussler has suffered with persistent problems with knee pain after crashing in the Volta ao Algarve and then subsequently crashing in Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse.
Haussler came crashing to the ground after colliding with British sprinter Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) in the Tour de Suisse. Haussler was forced to withdraw from the race, throwing his Tour participation in doubt. Cavendish was subsequently fined by the race jury for causing the accident.
"Heinrich's knee pain came back during the Tour de Suisse, after his crash," said Cervelo Test Team doctor Andreas Goesele.
"He did not finish that race in order to have some days off the bike. He felt better and everything seemed to be improving as he prepared for the Tour de France. But in the last few days the pain has come back again more intensely than before and so it was obvious to us, he could not race."
Earlier on Friday, the Quick Step team announced that Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen would also not take part in the 2010 Tour due to knee injury.
Daniel Lloyd takes Haussler's place on the squad, where he will play a key part alongside fellow Briton Jeremy Hunt in aiding 2009 points classification champion Thor Hushovd in the sprints and overall contender Carlos Sastre's campaign. Lloyd was one of Sastre's key riders in the Giro d'Italia in May, helping him to eighth place. Lloyd finished in 103rd position overall.
Lloyd joins seven other British riders in the 2010 Tour de France, bringing the total of British riders to eight: Daniel Lloyd, Jeremy Hunt (Cerevlo), David Millar (Garmin), Bradley Wiggins, Steve Cummings, Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Charly Wegelius (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia).
Britain has not been represented at the Tour with such a high number of riders since 1968, when a Great Britain team took part in the event.
Related links
Tour de France 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
Tour de France 2010: Who's riding?
