Max Schachmann out of Ardennes classics due to several health issues

After a set of strong seasons with BORA - hansgrohe, German puncheur Max Schachmann is having a very unlucky start to the 2022 season that has hindered him from performing until now, and now he will miss the Ardennes classics where he is yet to take a win because of preparation issues he's had this winter.

Schachmann has said in a team press release: "What can I say. Of course, it's very frustrating and completely not what I had imagined this spring. But you have to face the facts and it just doesn't make sense to race right now. After my Covid-19 infection in January, I was performing at a good level before Paris-Nice, but then the next setback followed."

The German suffered from Covid-19 in January, and then - like a significant portion of the peloton - suffered from a respiratory infection in March. He started his season in Paris-Nice but abandoned after the third stage and hasn't raced in the meantime: "I’ve been back doing regular training for a few days now. It would be nice if I could get back into the racing action soon, but one can't have too high expectations there either. It will certainly take some more weeks to reach my top form," he said.

The German national champion finished third in Amstel Gold Race last year, alongside Top10 finishes at Flèche Wallone and Liège - Bastogne - Liège.

Team head of performance Dan Lorang has expressed the same feeling of disappointment, as Schachmann's evolution in the last few years set a good path for success in the Ardennes: "After Max had Covid-19 at the end of January and was forced to drop out of Paris-Nice due to an infection, his return has unfortunately taken longer than expected. He hasn’t been able to train adequately for a longer period of time and accordingly we’ve had to postpone his return to regular preparation as well. He is currently feeling better from day to day, which gives us hope that he will be able to start again in May. However, this date depends on his development over the next few weeks in training. We will certainly not use Max in races again until he is suitably ready to participate."