The replacement for Janssens in the World's team was to be announced at lunchtime yesterday. The Federation president Laurent De Backer had contact with the UCI prior to the decision being taken but said there was no way ahead for Janssens. He clarified the decision of the UCI: "Janssens must not compete for 15 days beginning on January 17. His licence remains in Lausanne until January 31. An exception to this rule could be that Janssens asks for a test before the start of the World Championships - but that was rejected.
Janssens reaction when he heard the news was predictable: "That is what I feared. I am the national champion but for the UCI I am just a number. I had hoped that the BWB president would be able to get something done to change this but he has had no luck at all. There is nothing I can do but remain at home and watch the World Championships on TV. I then will be able to ride the 4 remaining races in February. Two of them are for the Trofee Gazet van Antwerpen and I plan to win them both."
Janssens has more questions though about the testing. Not the least is the issue of the veracity of the tests. On Monday he saw a number of doctors. "I had 5 blood tests and each one gave me a different result. There were differences of 2 to 3 percentage points. So I have some questions in my mind now. But the important thing also was that each of them gave readings well below the 50 percent level. So I cannot understand the reading I gave on Sunday. And in all the other tests I have had this season I have never been above 50 per cent. Last week I had some early signs of flu. I took some medicine. But I have never used EPO."
Belgium national coach Eric De Vlaeminck has chosen Bjorn Rondelez to replace Marc Janssens in the Belgian team for the World Championships in Poprad, Slovakia on January 31.
Rondelez, who is from West Flanders got the nod ahead of Arne Daelmans.
Janssens, the current Belgian champion was suspended by the UCI for 14 days when he gave an excessive hematocrit reading at the last round of the World Cup last Sunday. het WK veldrijden
The others in the team include Vladislav Borissov, Serguei Klimov, Vladimir Karpets, Soultan Allakhirov, Dmitir Koudriavtsev, Aleksandr Kouznetsov, Vsevolod Ivanov and Aleksandr Koulikov.
February 3, Stage 1 - La Ciotat-Aubagne
February 4, Stage 2 - Nîmes-Sète
February 5, Stage 3 - Alès-Casino Les Fumades
February 6, Stage 4 - Bagnols sur Cèze-Bagnols sur Cèze
February 7, Stage 5 - Molières-Bessèges
The Teams for the Etoile de Bessèges and the GP d'Ouverture are:
France: Casino, Crédit Agricole, Française des Jeux, Festina, Cofidis, Big-Mat Saint-Quentin-Oktos-MBK,Besson chaussures-Nippon Modo
Belgium: Lotto, Home Market, Vlaanderen 2002, Collstrop
Spain: Kelme, Vitalicio Seguros
Italy: Polti, Lampre-Daikin
Denmark: Jack and Jones and Slovenia: Krka Telecom