Seeldraeyers' heart problem diagnosis wrong

Kevin Seeldraeyers had a bad scare over the winter, when he was told that he had suspected heart problems which could force him to quit racing. But the diagnosis was wrong, much to the relief of the Quick Step rider.

The 23-year-old underwent a routine check at a hospital, and was told he had an enlarged heart. A heart muscle disease was feared, and he was told to stop racing.

Seeldraeyers therefore trained less the last two weeks. “With that diagnosis in mind, I didn't go too deeply. I usually did not train more than one or two hours, but that was partly because of the weather in Belgium.”

The Belgian, who last year won the best young rider ranking at both Paris-Nice and the Giro d'Italia,
is currently riding the Volta ao Algarve as his first race of the year. Paris-Nice is once again on his calendar, “but I suspect I won't have high ambitions there.”