Glomser to skip Tour de Suisse

Gerrit Glomser of Team Volksbank, who last year finished eighth overall in the Tour de Suisse, will not be riding the race this year, the team said in announcing its line-up. The 33 year-old Austrian will now turn his attention to the Tour of Austria next month. The Austrian Professional Continental team will now look to sprinters Olaf Pollack and André Korff to lead the team, along with Andreas Dietziker, who recently finished second overall in the Bayern Rundfahrt.

After consulting with Directeur Sportif Patrick Vetsch, Glomser decided not to contest the race. The DS showed understanding for his rider, saying, "He has been riding under his niveau for weeks, and is confused because he has trained well and can't explain his weak form." The search has now started for an explanation. "It can be something small that affects everything else. Maybe his teeth, he thinks. Once we have found out what the problem is, then his performance could directly improve."

Glomser was already at the dentist Monday afternoon for a full examination. He is counting on being back in form for the Austrian Tour, which he won in 2002 and 2003. "There are still four weeks to go. That should be enough time to find my form." Glomser added that he decided not to race in Switzerland because "in my present condition I wouldn't be able to help the team at all. I would be a hindrance and not a help. It's better now to find out what the problem is and continue training, than to destroy myself in Switzerland."