The 21-year-old Dutchman Dylan van Baarle must forfeit his place in the Belgian opening weekend due to illness. That made his team Garmin-Sharp known Thursday. The Australian Steele Von Hoff was summoned to replace the sick Dutchman. 

"Dylan van Baarle has been struggling for several days with a raging cold. Now he moreover showing flu-like symptoms" such as fever explained sports director Geert Van Bondt. "It is unfortunate that he has to give up because I was expecting a lot from him. I hope that he can resume competition in the Three Days of West Flanders (7-9 March). In his place, Steele Von Hoff is now on the Omloop and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne team, because every rider does the double during the opening weekend in Belgium with us."