Zdenek Stybar (Etixx – Quickstep) has said that although he will take part in some cyclocross races this season, he will not be lining up in the World Championships.
The former World Champion was speaking at the “Boonen and Friends” event yesterday in Belgium yesterday. He told Sporza: “I will decide this week which crosses I’m racing. I won’t be taking part in five though. That doesn’t fit in with my preparation.”
“I certainly won’t race in the World Championships. It doesn’t fit in with my program and the course can’t be compared with Hoogerheide (where Stybar became world champion in 2014).”
“The Worlds in Zolder is very technical and I do not think I can compete for victory there. I also really don’t want to invest my time. I want to put everything into the spring classics.”
The Czech rider who won the Cyclocross Worlds in 2010, 2011 and 2014 won Strade Bianche last year and came close to a win in Paris-Roubaix where he finished 2nd. He also had top ten finished in E3 Harelbeke, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Tour of Flanders.
