BOclassic has to do without Weissteiner 

For the second time in a row, Silvia Weissteiner cannot start at the BOclassic due to a back injury caused by a simple misstep during the cross country in Condino (IT) on 29 November. Weissteiner can presumably start with the training in February.

Thorough analyses showed that the back injury was more complicated than thought at the beginning. "Silvia is not supposed to do any tuning for at least one month" explained her coach Ruggero Grassi. "It is even possible that she has to resign for the whole winter and indoor season because there is no time for the preparation. The great season's aim remains to be the EC in Barcelona at the end of July. Seventh at the WC in Berlin over 5000 m, Weissteiner can only proactive in water and on the bicycle and is under physiotherapeutic treatment with Helmuth Seyr in Brixen/Bressanone."

" We very much regret the declining of Silvia. Since she has become our ambassador, the BOclassic has no longer brought luck to her. We wish her a quick recovery and wish that she will come back to BOclassic n 2010 in even stronger condition" says OC president Thomas Vonmetz. In 2006, Weissteiner took the third place and thus was the firstS South Tyrolean on the podium.