According to Dirk Demol, Sports Director at RadioShack-Leopard, the participation of Fabian Cancellara in this year’s Tour de France won’t be decided upon until after the Tour de Suisse. On Friday the Swiss rider rode a modest individual time trial at the Tour of Belgium, clocking the 15km at 19:40.

"This individual time trial was not an end in itself for Fabian Cancellara, 'said Dirk Demol to Het Nieuwsblad. "In addition, Fabian hasn’t really worked on his abilities as a time trialist. He took a break after Paris-Roubaix and only since Wednesday did he begin building his condition, which will surely improve during the Tour of Switzerland."

"Whether he starts in the Tour de France? We make that decision after the Tour of Switzerland.”

Asked if the team’s sponsors can be decisive in determining Cancellara’s participation in the Tour, Demol was ambiguous.  “Of course, those people have their say, but I certainly do not want to prejudge the facts. After Switzerland we disclose whether Cancellara starts in the Tour,” Demol insisted.