From cow pats to the Corsa Rosa - Lotto-Intermarché's bizarre Giro build-up

According to Het Nieuwsblad, riders from several teams who competed in the Famenne Ardenne Classic over the weekend have fallen ill in the days since, with cow dung on the route in rural Belgium identified as the suspected cause. 

The race was won by Lotto-Intermarché's Arnaud De Lie, the Belgian's first victory of the season, although the celebrations did not last long once symptoms began to spread within the team.

The Belgian newspaper reports that three Lotto-Intermarché riders set to ride the Giro were affected, with De Lie himself, Milan Menten and Slock all coming down with illness in the days following the race. De Lie and Menten have recovered sufficiently to travel to Bulgaria for Friday's Grande Partenza, but Slock remains unfit, ending his hopes of a Grand Tour debut. Giddings, the British rider, has been brought in as a late replacement.

The late reshuffle means Lotto-Intermarché will line up in Nesebar with Toon Aerts, Arnaud De Lie, Simone Gualdi, Milan Menten, Lorenzo Rota, Jonas Rutsch, Joshua Giddings and Lennert Van Eetvelt. De Lie is the clear card for the sprints, while Van Eetvelt gives the team an option for the mountains.

For Lotto, the Giro marks a return to the race after four years away, while Intermarché competed in last year’s edition. The team also bring two Grand Tour debutants to the start in Toon Aerts and 21-year-old Simone Gualdi, for whom the race carries extra meaning as an Italian.

“It means a lot to me to be at the start of the Giro d’Italia. It’s a race I’ve dreamed about ever since I started cycling,” Gualdi said. “I’ve had a very good preparation and my fifth place in Eschborn-Frankfurt confirmed that my form is good. I’m really looking forward to discovering what I can do and what we can show as a team.”

Sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer pointed to the mix within the team, with a clear sprint option in De Lie but also freedom for others to take their opportunities.