Dekker out of Milano-Sanremo

By Susan Westemeyer

One of the flu viruses that is sweeping Europe and the professional peloton has claimed another victim. Rabobank has announced that Thomas Dekker has come down with the bug and will have to skip Milano-Sanremo this weekend.

Dekker, the winner of Tirreno-Adriatico last year, lost over 10 minutes in Monday's mountain stage and was sweating heavily from the fever. "I had to get up several times during the night to dry off," said the 22 year-old to TDMagazine.nl. "My condition was good and I have become stronger in the mountains. It is too bad that it had to end this way."