Team Columbia's Mark Cavendish has withdrawn from the Paris-Tours one-day classic due to a lung infection.
The ailment caused the British rider to miss the recent world championships and his team have now confirmed he will not be ready for the Paris-Tours on October 11.
Cavendish won six stages of this year's Tour de France to cement his status as the fastest finisher in the peloton.
The Manxman also claimed his maiden classic victory in the Milan-San Remo last March.
