After withdrawing just 40 km into Dwars door Vlaanderen yesterday, today comes the announcement of his surrender: Alberto Bettiol will not be at the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The Italian champion, winner of the 2019 Flanders, has been diagnosed with a Chlamydia pneumoniae pulmonary infection.

"It's devastating not to be at the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen next Sunday - Bettiol explains on the pages of the Xds Astana website -. This race means a lot to me and was one of the major goals of the season, especially wearing the national jersey. Recently I was feeling strangely weak and medical tests confirmed this infection. I can do nothing but accept this situation and must shift my attention to upcoming goals".

And then to tuttobiciweb he adds: "It's not yet certain when my return to racing will happen, we want to proceed carefully and make the necessary steps. Since I became ill at Tirreno I haven't found good sensations on the bike and blood tests have diagnosed this pulmonary infection. I am disappointed and sorry to miss one of my favorite races of the season, which always has a special place in my heart, but health comes first and I think it's important to try to recover in the best possible way".