Belgium's Steels unfit for Sydney

Belgian rider Tom Steels has been forced to withdraw from the country's five-man Olympic squad due to a blood infection.

"He had a medical yesterday and the results showed that he could not be ready for Sydney," Belgian Cycling Federation Federation spokesman Tom Van Damme said on Friday.

"My season is definitely over," Steels, who won two stages of this year's Tour de France for the GB Mapei team told Het Volk newspaper. "I have to think of my health and my further career."

Steels' defection is a second blow to Belgium's squad after Johan Museeuw suffered serious head injuries in a motorcycle crash. Museeuw has been replaced by Cofidis rider Nico Mattan.

Van Damme said a replacement for Steels would be named next week. "We think we have enough good riders in Belgium that we shouHld be able to have a good team of five bikes," he said.

Other stories on Olympic cycling:

Ullrich to use Tour of Spain as Olympic tuneup

The How To Do It guide to Olympic cycling

The Dunc Gray Velodrome, Olympic cycling venue