Mark Cavendish to take indefinite break from cycling due to illness
The British athlete has said he's "not felt physically myself" and "there's been something not quite right" this season.
Wednesday 29 August 2018 10:23, UK
Mark Cavendish will take an indefinite break from cycling "due to the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus".
The 33-year-old's team Dimension Data confirmed that he had been "unknowingly training and racing" with the bug for a number of months.
The Epstein-Barr virus is most commonly known as being the cause of glandular fever.
Cavendish said in a statement on Dimension Data's website: "This season, I've not felt physically myself and despite showing good numbers on the bike, I have felt that there's been something not right.
"Given this and on the back of these medical results, I'm glad to now finally have some clarity as to why I haven't been able to perform at my optimum level during this time.
"Having received expert medical advice as a result of the findings, I've been advised to take a period of total rest in order to fully recover.
"I'm now looking forward to taking the time necessary in order to get back to 100% fitness, before then returning to racing again at peak physical condition.
"I'd like to thank everyone for the incredible support I've received and I look forward to seeing you all out on the road again soon."
Cavendish has won 30 Tour de France stages in his career, putting him second on the all-time list.
He had to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in 2018 following a crash at the Milan-San Remo race in March.