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Double world cyclo-cross champion Niels Albert to retire?

Belgian press reports that 28-year-old will call halt to career due to heart problem

There is speculation in Belgium that two-time world cyclocross champion Niels Albert may be about to announce an end to his top-level career at the age of just 28 years.

The website of newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports that according to what it describes as a reliable source, Albert, world cyclocross champion in 2009 and 2012, is suffering from a heart problem which came to light in an early season training camp in Benicassim, Spain, with his BKCP-Powerplus team.

The newspaper says that Albert, who had been due to begin his road season at the weekend with two races in Belgium but withdrew from both, may announce his retirement at a press conference scheduled for 2pm this afternoon.

It adds however that neither the team nor Albert were able to confirm his plans when contacted yesterday evening.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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