Rabobank's Paul Martens has seen his season come to a halt just a day after it began. The 27 year old rider who finished last season on a major high note with a fantastic ride at the World Road Championships in Geelong, is looking forward to a successful 2011 season, but before he can do that, he'll need to rest.
After only one day of racing at the Challenge Mallorca, the rider who now lives in Belgium had to return home due to recurring knee pain that he has been suffering from since December according to Radsportnews.com.
"The pains came back even in warm temperatures after an hour of riding. The medical team have ordered me to absolute rest, at least until we get back the results from my MRI," said last year's winner of the GP Wallonie to Radsportnews.
Martens is slated for a trip to the doctor for his MRI on Thursday, and then it will be an agonizing wait for the results after that. It's a frustrating setback for Martens, who missed a large chunk of last season due to injuries he sustained in a crash at the Criterium Dauphine in June.
The German is targeting the Ardennes Classics as his season's first high point, and an extended period off the bike could be exactly what he doesn't need in his hopes to shine on the hilly terrain of the Ardennes that he loves.
"Of course, I can't give a prognosis at this point. I'll sorely miss the time between now and then though."