Quick Step medical woes

"The 2008 season has started fantastically for the Quick Step Team," the team proudly announced on Thursday, with nine wins already in the new season. But a few of the Belgian ProTour team's riders are having some health problems.

Sébastien Rosseler is being held out of competition until problems with his right knee are cleared up. "This pain started in winter during a training session. It is a pain that I feel right inside my knee. In accordance with the team's medical staff, for the past three weeks I've been alternating long bike rides in order to keep my leg muscle tone in shape with physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions."

Kevin Van Impe is also having right knee problems. He had to drop out of the Volta ao Algarve because of the pain and is currently having physiotherapy and undergoing tests to find out what is wrong. Alessandro Proni is currently having therapy on his left achilles tendon, which flared up during the final stage of Algarve.

Matteo Carrara has recovered from the flu and dysentery that he came down with after Algarve. "I had a high temperature at the beginning of the week but I'm getting better. I've managed to train the last two days. It seems like the worst is already over". He will return to action at Paris-Nice. Finally, Davide Vigano caught the chicken pox when he came home form Algarve, but is expected to be able to start training again next week.