Cervélo TestTeam's Heinrich Haussler, stage winner of the Tour de France 2009, will not be participating in this year's Tour due to further knee problems. The 26-year-old rider has been plagued by knee problems since a crash in the Volta a Algarve this spring. Despite taking time for recovery, knee problems continued after crashes at Paris-Nice and most recently at the Tour de Suisse.

"Heinrich's knee pain came back during the Tour de Suisse. He did not finish that race in order to have some days off the bike. He felt better and everything seemed to be improving as he prepared for the Tour de France. But in the last few days the pain has come back again more intensely than before and so it was obvious to us, he could not race," Cervelo TestTeam doctor Andreas Goesele stated.

Goesele added "Now we will operate and do arthroscopic surgery on him next week and after that he will start rehabilitation. We will then have to wait until after the operation before making any further statements regarding his plans for the remainder of the season."

"It is a pity that I cannot compete in the Tour de France this year. I am well aware that for a Tour de France you must to be 100% healthy. Though my season so far has not been under a good star, I will not give up. I hold my head high looking ahead to my next goals. I am young and will get my chance again," Heinrich Haussler himself commented.

Haussler added "My focus is now on the recovery process and we will decide later when I can make my comeback. The health has first priority and I want to be 100% fit before I return on the start line."

Daniel Lloyd (Great Britain) replaces Heinrich Haussler in the Cervelo team's Tour de France 2010 line-up.