AMSTERDAM, May 6, 2010 (AFP) – Spaniard Oscar Freire of the Rabobank team on Thursday pulled out of the Tour of Italy just two days before it starts in Amsterdam suffering from sinusitis, his team said.

The Milan-SanRemo winner is replaced by Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk.

Triple world champion Freire has yet to compete in the Giro, having at least won stages in the only major national tours.