Brent Bookwalter out of World Champs after slow recovery from Tour of Britain car collision

Brent Bookwalter has announced that he will be unable to take part in the 2017 UCI Road World Championships after making a slow recovery from injuries sustained when he crashed into the back of a parked car during the Tour of Britain.

The American had been due to line-up as part of his national squad for the elite men's road race on Sunday September 24, but on medical advice has withdrawn his participation.

>>> Scarecrow of Brent Bookwalter crashing into parked car at Tour of Britain gets thumbs up from recovering rider

Writing on his Facebook page, the 33-year-old said: "Based on the advice from my medical team, I’ve had to make the pretty tough decision to not compete at the UCI World Championships in Norway later this month.

"In the long run, I know this is the right move for my health and my career. I suffered a concussion after crashing into a parked car at the Tour of Britain. The medical care that I’ve received since then has been top-notch, but my body simply hasn’t healed."

Bookwalter, who rides for trade team BMC Racing, wrote that he was finding the recovery period frustrating.

"This is the first time in my career where I’ve experienced a significant head injury, and I’ve been surprised (and frustrated) with how slowly I’m recovering. Not being able to race at Worlds and represent the United States is obviously a huge disappointment for me.

"I want to thank everyone for their support, including USA Cycling and the BMC Racing Team, both who have stood by me throughout this process. I will keep you updated with my progress and looking forward to racing again once I'm 100 percent healthy!"

Bookwalter collided with the back of a parked car in Retford during stage four of the Tour of Britain on September 6. He was taken directly to hospital, abandoning the race. A spokesperson from race organiser Sweetspot said later that day that Bookwalter had "mild concussion, lacerations and bruising".

The 2017 UCI Road Cycling World Championships take place in Bergen, Norway, over September 17-24.