Tom Dumoulin to miss Valenciana Comunitato Volta due to illness The 29-year-old Dumoulin fell ill Monday night and his absence was announced Tuesday morning as the five-day race will start Wednesday.

Dumoulin had positioned the race as a memorable one for his long-awaited comeback from injury, and it was to be his first appearance in the colors of Jumbo Visma after breaking his contract with Team Sunweb last summer.

The race was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but the former Giro d'Italia winner announced on Instagram that he would not be participating.

"The riders just left for a training ride here in Valencia. Unfortunately I won't be there. I got sick last night and will go home to recover," he wrote.

"I didn't want to start the season this way, but you have to be wise. It is better not to race when you are not feeling well. I came to Spain to improve my condition, not to break it. I hope to be back soon

Dumoulin has not raced competitively on the road since last summer's Criterium du Dauphiné in France, where his 2019 campaign was marred by bad luck and injuries, including a serious crash in the first week of the Giro d'Italia that forced him to abandon the race. At the Dauphiné, he returned to the race but was unable to finish, requiring several surgeries on his right knee.

Jumbo Visma replaced Dumoulin in Valencia with Paul Martens.