Belgian Gianni Meersman (Française des Jeux) was just 15 seconds off the pace. (Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Gianni Meersman, who missed much of last season due to back problems and surgery, is facing more of the same this year. It is not yet known whether he will need further surgery.
The Francaise des Jeux rider said that his training for the new season had begun well, until the pain in his left leg returned three weeks ago, the same pain as he had last year. “I met the team doctor in Paris on Wednesday,” he told Sportwereld. “At first the doctors thought that the problem was caused by scar tissue, but that is not so.”
The 24-year-old said that the problem arose last March, and he underwent surgery the end of June. He returned to racing in August, riding both on the track and the road. His last race was the Grenoble Six Days race in the beginning of November, where he said that he was pain-free.
