The rider from Luxembourg has been suffering from a wisdom tooth ache for over a week and he has no other option but to undergo an operation immediately. “An infection of the root of the tooth during the Tour of Colorado caused complications that demanded a minor but critical surgery,” says the Leopard-Trek press release. “I regret pulling out of these two races as I adore racing in North America and I was very excited about the idea of being in these two Canadian events,” says the rider who will not be replaced.
“It’s disappointing but we understand his decision. We wish Andy to be healthy, as we hope to see him on our circuits next year,” said Serge Arsenault, President of the GPCQM.
The Québec City and Montréal UCI WorldTour races showcase a prestigious line-up with five of the eleven top riders at the 2011 Tour de France (Damiano Cunego, Samuel Sanchez, Tom Danielson, Jean-Christophe Peraud and Pierre Rolland), but also some of world’s leaders such as number 2 Philippe Gilbert and Edvald Boasson Hagen, Ryder Hesjedal, Robert Gesink, George Hincapie and Canadians Michael Barry, Dominique Rollin, David Veilleux and the SpiderTech team.