Ian Stannard to miss 2014 Tour de France

Ian Stannard will miss out on playing a part in the 2014 Tour de France after he suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury sustained at Ghent-Wevelgem on March 30.

The 26 year-old, who rode his debut Tour de France in support of Chris Froome last season, has been advised by doctors not to return to physical activity until late June, ruling him out of playing a part in this year's campaign.

"I was just starting to get back on the turbo and pushing on a little bit, but [after a scan] I was advised not to do anything," Stannard told Cycling Weekly.

"It’s 12 weeks from the crash before they reckon it’s healed sufficiently to do anything," the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner continued.

"That writes off Tenerife [training camp], [Criterium du] Dauphine and the Tour."

Ian Stannard talks about his injury and setback in an exclusive interview in this week's issue of Cycling Weekly, out today.