Pierre Rolland (Europcar) may miss the Paris-Nice due to a knee injury sustained at last week’s Tour de Haut Var. He banged his knee against his stem when his chain slipped and sadly that incident may cost him participation in the French race, that starts on Sunday.

“I had never had problems with my knees before, but so be it, that doesn’t mean much,” Rolland told L’Équipe.

This week, he has been off the bike, but something happened when he tried to ride on his turbo trainer.

“I felt a niggle on the rollers, but it was nothing compared to the pain I felt from the vibrations on the road,” he said.

He has a minor lesion on the cartilage of his right patella. Rolland withdrew from today's Le Samyn race, and tonight he will make a decision on his participation in Paris-Nice.

“Paris-Nice is five hours a day, and after a full hour of training, the pain came back,” Rolland explained. “It worries me a little because after ten days, even with rest and physiotherapy sessions, it hasn’t gone away.

“[Paris-Nice is] the hardest race physically and mentally, with two days of echelons, violent efforts in the cold and a peloton where everybody is in good condition.”

“Together with the management, we’ll take a decision on Wednesday,” he explained. “I’m still hoping in an improvement, but if that’s not the case, there’s no question of insisting. It’s unthinkable that I would ride if I’m still injured.”