Zdenek Stybar will not be racing in any cyclocross events for the months of December and January 2015. The decision was made in agreement with the team’s technical staff yesterday.
“I’m very disappointed that I won’t be lining up for the start of the cyclocross season,” explained Stybar. “When I took the decision I was almost emotional because it’s the first time in years I have to give up cyclocross. But to be honest, right now the conditions for taking on this type of competition just aren’t there. I’m still recovering from the shoulder injury. The rehabilitation is going well, but the pain in my shoulder isn’t entirely gone. I can work out on the road if I avoid holes and rough asphalt, but I still can’t carry the bike on my shoulder or perform other essential technical maneuvers necessary for a cyclocross event. Cross races are very skill dependent and you need complete control of your bike. Because of the injury, my training also got off to a late start and on top of it all, I still can’t exercise at the gym or do the core stability sessions. This is why, with a heavy heart, I have to give up cyclocross.
"I’m really very sorry, especially for the fans who always support me in the races, and for my cyclocross crew, for years with whom I’ve been sharing the joys and the efforts of the races," Stybar continued. "Everybody knows how much I love this sport, but obviously the risk of compromising my rehabilitation and winter training is too big.”
“It wasn’t an easy decision for Zdenek,” said team doctor Yvan Vanmol . “But we also have to be realistic and the fact is that right now Zdenek is not physically ready for cyclocross. An injury of this type requires three months of rehabilitation before you can reacquire complete functional mobility and strength in the muscles of the shoulder cuff. We don’t want to run the risk of the shoulder problems coming back. The first priority is Zdenek has to recover 100 percent mobility in his shoulder, and then we’ll begin laying down the base for next season. One of his goals is to be on his top level in the cobblestone classics, which requires strength in the muscles of his shoulder cuff."
Stybar also commented on the possibility of his presence at the World Championships, which are to be held in Tabor on the 1st of February.
“I think it will be very difficult for me to be at the start," Stybar said. "If the race had been held in another country I would have already withdrawn. The fact is that the race will take place in Tabor, in my own Czech Republic. That is where I became a World Champion for the first time and I have the most extraordinary memories from that circuit. It’s the pick of my career so far. However, the decision is being postponed until the middle of January, and will depend a lot on how I feel and how my shoulder is doing. At this moment the chance to be at the start is very small."