Team Lotto Belisol medically fit for the 2013 season
Team Lotto Belisol is medically fit for the season ahead after UCI tested the whole squad with its main focus on the cardiac issues.
UCI has been testing the cycling teams since past ten years and Team Doctor Jan Mathieu stated that the tests are logical as it helps to prevent the heart related issues in the sport.
Cyclists go through three different tests to secure their medical clearance certificate. All the three tests are ideally designed to check the riders with any heart ailments, way before they start the season.
“A normal cardiogram in rest, an exertion test in combination with an electrocardiogram and an ultrasound of the heart, to examine among other things the functioning of the cardiac muscle and the cardiac valves,” Team Doctor Jan Mathieu stated.
The team also measured the cyclist’s oxygen level to identify the VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption) hence any deviation from the normal level can be examined.
“We let all our riders take a Holter monitoring during our training camp. During the night and during the training they are monitored 24 hours, so we can see for example if their heart isn't beating extremely low when they are asleep,” Mathieu conclude.
Jurgen Roelandts is still uncertain of his broken collarbone however, he was present for the test as a 100% attendance was mandatory.
“As a pro it would be a worst-case scenario if an abnormality is found, but that is the reason why these kind of tests are important,” he said.
The Belgian team was founded back in 1985 with Lotto as its main sponsor and had went under different names throughout his long history with the sport however, the sponsor Lotto has always been with the team since its commencement.
The team rode under the name Omega Pharma-Lotto through 2010-12 and will now be known as Team Lotto-Belisol for the season ahead.
It had a terrific current season with numerous top performances throughout the season. The Belgian side occupied the fourth overall position after the UCI World Tour Teams rankings with as many as 1162 UCI points to its credit.
Team Sky leads the category with 1767 points while Team Katusha (1273) and Team Liquigas-Cannondale (1197) securing the second and the third positions respectively.
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