Fernando Gaviria a non-starter at Paris-Roubaix after being taken ill overnight

The Colombian sprinter was an outside bet to win today's race

Fernando Gaviria at the UAE Tour 2019 (NurPhoto/Getty)

(Image credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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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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Jonny Long

Jonny was Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor until 2022.

I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.

Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).

I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.