Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) failed to take the start at today's Paris-Roubaix after being taken ill overnight, his team announced this morning.
The Colombian sprinter fell ill overnight and woke with a fever, meaning he was unable to roll out from Compiègne and attempt to win his first ever Monument.
Admittedly an outside bet to finish first on the cobbles, but the 24-year-old has picked up a couple of wins so far this season whilst team-mate Alexander Kristoff took a surprise victory at Ghent-Wevelgem last month.
Racing is underway in the 117th edition of Paris-Roubaix, with dry conditions expected out on the road today.
>>> Paris-Roubaix 2019 live TV guide
Favourites for the race today include reigning champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet (CCC), with Gaviria's former Deceuninck-Quick-Step team-mates Zdeněk Štybar and Yves Lampaert also contenders for the win.
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