Bad news for top racer Liam Killeen. The Specialized racer started the season at Sea Otter in California but found himself unable to perform to his usual standard. It transpired that he’d contracted a viral infection “of indeterminate origin”.

He’s now announced that he’ll be forced to sit out the rest of the 2007 season. “I’ve spoken to a number of people and it was decided I would have a better chance of recovering if I took the rest of the season off,” he said. “Of course I’m really disappointed to not be there for my sponsors and the fans, but in the end, I’ll never race at the top again if I don’t take the time to recover. I hope this rest and recuperation will allow me the needed time to recover for the Beijing Olympics.”