Irish cyclist Nicolas Roche will miss the Vuelta a Espana after contracting bacterial pneumonia which he blamed on 'bad air conditioning" at the Rio Olympics.
Roche finished in 29th place in the cycling road race at the Olympic games after mechanical problems, but the medical issues he suffered afterwards have caused the most concern and he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Roche is not expected to return to the saddle until September and on Twitter revealed that he thought that air conditioingn in Rio led to his illness.
Having a hard last few days..not been easy.. Probably contracted the virus with a bad aircon in rio.. Really unlucky. Gutted actualy.
— nicholas roche (@nicholasroche) August 12, 2016
The Irish cyclist had been expected to help lead Team Sky's challenge at the Vuelta a Espana and was building towards the event as a priority.
However a statement from Team Sky confirmed that he will take no part in the race because of "severe bacterial pneumonia which he contracted during his time in Rio."
In a statement, the Irish cyclist said: "Obviously it's a big disappointment. The Vuelta is a race I really enjoy and one where I have had success before.
"Riding the Vuelta was a big target for me this year and I was looking forward to being part of the team.
"The illness couldn't have come at a worse time, really, and after speaking to the medical staff it's pretty clear that I'm not going to be ready in time.
"I'll be focusing on my recovery and looking to get back racing as soon as I can".
