Tim Wellens and Sep Vanmarcke to miss Omloop Het Nieuwsblad due to last-minute health issues

The first one-day race of the World Tour calendar takes place today in Belgium, and the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will take in a premium startlist. However, two important last minute absences will be noticeable as both Tim Wellens and Sep Vanmarcke will miss the start of the cobbles classics campaign.

The Lotto Soudal rider has been very active in this early season and was carrying great form into the race. After winning Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and a stage at the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, Wellens was set to co-lead the Belgian team alongside the likes of Victor Campenaerts and Florian Vermeersch, who should now have a bigger role within the lineup. Team has stated that "he got sick during the night before the race. Wellens had problems with his stomach. After consultation with the medical staff, the decision was made not to start."

As for Israel - Premier Tech their loss is more important as they see their leader Sep Vanmarcke miss the start due to a cold. "After developing a sore throat over night and not feeling 100 % this morning, Sep and the IPT medical team have decided it’s better to focus on recovery to not jeopardize future races," the Israeli team has announced this morning. Israel nevertheless have a very varied team with quality riders, the likes of Guillaume Boivin, Tom van Asbroeck and Simon Clarke will be eyeing a strong result.

Team DSM's Nils Eeckhoff is also set to miss the start due to a positive test on a routine lateral flow self test this morning. The German team is likely to put their focus on veteran John Degenkolb, with Søren Kragh Andersen as an alternative for aggressive racing.