Mark Cavendish withdraws from Three Days of De Panne through illness
Last Updated: 01/04/14 12:21pm
Mark Cavendish has withdrawn from the Three Days of De Panne race in Belgium due to illness.
The Manxman suffered gastroenteritis after a tough edition of Milan-San Remo which yielded a fifth-placed finish, and will now return home for tests and to recuperate.
The three day, four stage event (which got underway on Tuesday morning) had been set to be Cavendish's comeback race after illness also kept the former world champion out of Sunday's Gent-Wevelgem.
Cavendish, whose race programme will be now need to be re-evaluated, said in a statement released by his Omega Pharma-Quick-Step squad: "I'm really disappointed.
"Sunday I felt better, and I was able to train well, but Sunday night I was sick again and had diarrhoea.
"I decided to come to the race anyway, hoping that the situation would improve, but I started vomiting and having diarrhoea again last night, at about 2am. I'm in no shape to start, especially because I can't eat or drink anything.
"After San Remo I wanted to continue to get some good results and ride well both at Gent-Wevelgem and here at the Driedaagse.
"It really is a big disappointment not to be able to race."
