Burghardt planning his comeback

Team High Road's Marcus Burghardt wasn't able to defend his title in Gent-Wevelgem this year, as he was in hospital in Hamburg, Germany, having knee surgery. He injured the knee in a training accident in December and has barely ridden in the 2008 season.

Now, however, he is in rehabilitation for the knee, following the successful surgery, and eager to being racing again. "I can now move my knee without pain and put weight on it," he wrote on his website, marcus-burghardt.blog.ch. "The important thing now is not to overdo and to be totally concentrated on my training."

Having missed the entire Spring Classics, he has now turned his eye to the Tour de France, the Olympics in Beijing, and the Deutschland Tour. "I have not given up on the 2008 cycling year and will do everything I can to bring in another ProTour win again this year." (SW)