Mark Cavendish will not be defending his Britiish National Road Race title in Monmouthshire on Sunday.
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team have announced that Cavendish will miss the race after suffering a bout of bronchitis that began during the final stages of the Tour de Suisse and as a precautional measure, he will continue training in Italy prior to the Tour de France.
"I'm sad because, as current champion, I would really like to defend the title," Cavendish said to the Omega Pharma Press Office. "I would have liked to honor the race and this jersey that I wore for all of 2014 so far, which allowed me to represent my country proudly. I think it's wiser, however, to not take any risks and focus on absolute, 100 percent recovery, and continue to train in function of the Tour de France. I talked with the race organizers and they understood my situation perfectly. I wish them well, and also wish good luck to all riders at the race on Sunday trying to fight for this jersey I've been so proud to wear."
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