Berlin - High Road captain Michael Rogers is out of action for at least eight weeks as he is suffering from mononucleosis, the American cycling team announced on Monday night. High Road said in a press release that the diagnosis was made by team doctors and Rogers' physicians.
The doctors said that Rogers has to rest for four weeks and can not compete in races for eight weeks. As a result, it remains open whether he will be able to race at the Giro d'Italia in May, as he will not have had a lot of training ahead of the three-week event.
Mononucleosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, in most cases producing flu-like symptoms and fatigue.
Doctors usually prohibit high-performance athletes from competing during the illness which can sideline sportsmen for more than a year. Last Saturday, world number one tennis player Roger Federer revealed that he had suffered from the illness in recent months.
Rogers said he has been hit by the virus for the second time in his career.
"Having expedited the same virus in 2001, I have the necessary knowledge of what is required of me to get my health back to a level that will allow me to train and race at full intensity. In the meantime I will rest as much as possible to give myself a fast turnaround," he said in the High Road statement.
Rogers' agent Paul DeGuyter said that the problems date back to late 2007 and made proper training difficult.
"Michael has not felt strong on the bike since last fall and has been struggling to train consistently with intensity. While he is disappointed to not be racing, he is pleased that there is a confirmed and treatable medical reason for his difficulties.
"Michael can now focus on a speedy and complete recovery. He looks forward to regaining his competitive status and rejoining his team as soon as possible," DeGuyter said.
High Road boss Bob Stapleton said the team is "look(ing) forward to his return as soon as his health and fitness allow."
The injury comes at a bad time as the European season has just started, with Paris-Nice underway and the classic one-day races coming up as well, Milan-San Remo for instance on March 22.
