Mark Cavendish "gutted" at missing UCI Road World Championships

Mark Cavendish has said he is “gutted” to be missing next week’s UCI Road World Championships in Bergen, Norway as he continues his recovery from the broken shoulder he sustained at the Tour de France in July.

The Dimension Data rider returned to racing at the Tour of Britain last week, but abandoned during the final stage from Worcester to Cardiff.

The 32-year-old crashed out of the Tour de France when he was hit the barriers during the sprint at the end of the fourth stage in an incident that saw Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan thrown out of the race for dangerous riding.

> Mark Cavendish out of Tour de France, Peter Sagan disqualified

Last year in Qatar, Cavendish finished second to Sagan at the world championships as the Slovak retained the rainbow jersey he had first won 12 months earlier in Richmond, Virginia.

Cavendish had made this year’s race his main target for the season as he sought to repeat his success from Copenhagen in 2011, but admitted in a statement posted to Twitter that he had been forced to rule himself out due to the ongoing effects of his injury.

“I am gutted to say I won't be representing Great Britain this year at the World Road Race Championships in Bergen, Norway," he wrote.

"It was a goal I'd set to try and win this year, on a course that suits me at my peak and the strength in depth we have in the Great Britain Cycling Team.

“Unfortunately, I am still struggling with the broken shoulder I sustained from the crash in this year’s Tour de France, so withdrew myself as an option for selection last week,” he continued.

"As always, I'll be supporting all my friends and colleagues as they strive for our next World Champ stripes after Lizzie Deignan's dominant ride in Richmond, two years ago,” Cavendish added.

"Good luck to you all and stay safe."

> Lizzie Deignan and Chris Froome spearhead Great Britain challenge at UCI Road World Championships