Reigning Tour of Italy cycling champion Ivan Basso will not race in this week's Milan-San Remo Classic because of a wrist sprain he suffered in last week's Tirreno-Adriatico race.
The 29-year-old Discovery Channel team rider is still in pain after injuring his wrist in a fall last Friday. Basso started Saturday's stage, but was not able to finish because of the pain.
Basso's manager told the French newspaper L'Equipe's website that other than the wrist problem, Basso is in good condition and is training regularly. However, Giovanni Lombardi said it would not be wise for Basso to risk competing in a 300-kilometer race.
The 98th Milan-San Remo Classic is Saturday, and is the longest classic in the modern calendar.
The route crosses the Lombardi plain and the Po River, and includes climbs up the Passo Del Turchino midway through and the Cipressa and the Poggio late in the race.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.