Westra extends with Vacansoleil-DCM

Dutch rider Lieuwe Westra will not start the Scheldeprijs tomorrow due to an illness, but the 28-year-old winner of the Classic Loire Atlantique parlayed his recent string of good results into a contract extension with the Vacansoleil-DCM team.

The team announced today that Westra will remain with the team through 2013.

Westra came third overall in the Volta ao Algarve in February, and confirmed that result with a second place overall in the Driedaagse De Panne - Koksijde, just missing the overall win by six seconds to Sebastien Rosseler.

However, he missed out on starting the Tour of Flanders after falling ill with a fever, and has not trained since last Saturday.

"I am better, but still not great," he said, adding that he hopes to return for La Flèche Wallonne and Liège - Bastogne - Liège later this month.

Vacansoleil-DCM will start the Scheldeprijs with sprinters Borut Bozic and Romain Feillu as well as Björn Leukemans, Stijn Devolder, Frederick Veuchelen, Gorik Gardeyn, Alberto Ongarato and Marcello Pavarin.