Heart problems forced Olivier Kaisen to end his career prematurely and this has left his Lotto Belisol team looking for a replacement. With only 26 riders on the roster, the team feels that an extra rider is needed for the heavy race schedule.

It was a sad day for Lotto Belisol when the team had to announce the premature end to Olivier Kaisen's career. Known as one of the hardest working domestiques in the peloton and a long-standing member of the Belgian team, the Belgian had to succumb to heart problems that made continued elite sport impossible.

At first, the team didn't express any interest in signing a replacement for the strong Belgian but now team manager Marc Sergeant admits that it may be necessary to look for a new rider. As a WorldTour team, the team has a heavy race schedule that at times can see them do three races simultaneously which takes its toll on the 26-rider roster.

"We don't need to find one quickly just to find one," manager Marc Sergeant told Het Nieuwsblad. "The problem is not an immediate one in the spring but will come later. Now we will just do our double programme (with Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, ed.) and in the meantime I will have my eyes open."

This weekend Lotto Belisol will only be riding in their native Belgium when Jurgen Roelandts and André Greipel lead the team in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne respectively.

You can read our preview of the Omloop here.