In a week where absence from World Cup races having consequences is being discussed in the cyclocross world due to UCI president David Lappartient, last year's second place
Michael Vanthourenhout is announced to skip an important round in Troyes due to illness.
The Belgian, who has just won his second consecutive European title, is skipping the fourth round of the World Cup in Troyes and the Superprestige Merksplas as he is not yet recovered from stomach problems. Vanthourenhout, who was second at last year's World Cup, finds himself completely out of the fight for the classification as he abandoned both Maasmechelen and Dendermonde races and is putting his focus elsewhere.