Illness continues to hamper Mark Cavendish’s year after the Manx Missile was forced to pull out of the Three Days of De Panne race in Belgium.
The three-day, four-stage event began on April 1 and was set to be Cavendish's comeback race after being sidelined with gastroenteritis.
However the 28-year-old did not take his place on the start line after failing to recover completely, having first fallen ill after finishing fifth in the Milan-San Remo.
He also withdrew from last Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem Classic and he is heading home to rest and recover, with his race programme now needing to be re-evaluated ahead of the summer.
"I'm really disappointed," said a statement from Cavendish released through the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team.
"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."
© Sportsbeat 2014