PARIS (AP) — Andy Schleck has pulled out of the Paris-Nice race ahead of Tuesday’s third stage because of a stomach virus.
His RadioShack-Nissan team said Schleck was suffering from gastroenteritis when he finished Monday’s flat second stage from Mantes-la-Jolie to Orleans.
The Luxembourg rider said he preferred not to take any risks by continuing in the race because “I better not jeopardize the rest of the season” and “my goals are situated later in the season.”
Schleck finished second in the 2010 Tour de France and stands to inherit the title after Alberto Contador was stripped of his victory because of a positive doping test. Schleck is one of the favorites for this year’s French classic as well.
