Stuyven and Politt relieved as they prepare for the Tour of Flanders, but Astana and Tudor have bad news for Sunday

XDS-Astana cannot count on Alberto Bettiol for the Tour of Flanders this Sunday. The Kazakh team stated in a press release that the Italian champion is ill. Tudor also announced on Thursday that Julian Alaphilippe will not participate.

31-year-old Bettiol moved from EF Education-EasyPost to Astana in August 2024 and was supposed to be one of the team's big points earners. Astana is seeking UCI points to keep its WorldTour license for 2026-2028. Bettiol's withdrawal from the Tour of Flanders will be a heavy blow for the light blue team.

However, there is no other option because Bettiol already gave up on the Tirreno-Adriatico due to illness, and after anonymous results in Milan-Turin and Milan-Sanremo, he also did not finish the Coppi e Bartali. On Wednesday, at Dwars door, Vlaanderen did not make it to the finish line after being examined for a lung infection. The so-called chlamydia pneumoniae can also cause pneumonia, so Astana will closely monitor their rider.

"It feels devastating not to be able to compete in Ronde van Vlaanderen this Sunday," Bettiol says. "This race means a lot to me, and it was one of the big goals of the season, especially while wearing the Italian tricolor jersey. I felt weirdly weak recently, and a medical examination confirmed this infection. There is nothing I can do but accept this decision, and I need to shift my focus to the next goals."

Read more below the photo.

XDS-Astana is not the only team that lost one of its key riders for the Tour of Flanders. The same goes for Tudor, which announced on Thursday afternoon that Alaphilippe would be unable to participate due to illness. The Swiss team added, "He will continue to work towards his goals in the Tour of the Basque Country."

Tudor will be significantly affected by the former world champion's absence. The team will see Marc Hirschi, another strong rider, complete a different program in the run-up to the Ardennes classics. Fabian Cancellara's team will normally count on Matteo Trentin in the Tour; the experienced Italian has already competed in the Tour of Flanders twelve times before.

Bettiol was not the only victim of Dwars door Vlaanderen because, in addition to illness, there were also crashes on Wednesday. Jasper Stuyven was one of those affected in the Lidl-Trek, but according to HLN, the Belgian can compete in the Tour of Flanders. "When Stuyven crossed the finish line, his elbow was severely swollen and bleeding, but the swelling has since subsided. So all in all, the damage seems to be not too bad, and the Tour this Sunday is not in danger."  

Nils Politt, who will have an important job for leader Tadej Pogacar in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, also crashed on Wednesday. The German and Laurence Pithie hit the tarmac about forty kilometers from the finish. It turned out that he was unhurt. The German Sportschau reports that Politt has recovered in time to appear at the start of the Tour of Flanders in Bruges on Sunday.