London - British cycling officials say sprinter Mark Cavendish will miss next week's world championships in Richmond, Virginia, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury.
Cavendish, who won the road race world title in 2011, injured his left shoulder when he crashed during stage six of the Tour of Britain on September 11.
The 30-year-old sprint specialist was among the contenders next week.
British Cycling said in a statement Friday that Cavendish "will require a longer period of recovery on his shoulder."
The team's technical director Shane Sutton said "it's a real blow for Mark to have to pull out of this year's race," adding that the injury is "more serious than we had hoped."
The worlds will be held in the Richmond area from September 20 to 27.