There are moments when cycling takes a back seat, and for Marianne Vos and her entire family, this is one of those moments: the 38-year-old Dutch champion of Visma Lease a Bike is mourning the loss of her father Henk Vos, who passed away in recent days.

The Dutch cyclist, who chose not to participate in Milan-Sanremo Women and Dwars door Vlaanderen to be close to her father, will also not start in the Ronde van Vlaanderen scheduled for tomorrow.

The yellow-black team officially announced this with a statement that reads: "Marianne Vos will not take the start at the Tour of Flanders as she will remain with her family following the passing of her father last week. We wish Marianne and her loved ones all the strength and support they need during this difficult time".