Boasson Hagen out of Norwegian road championships, Tour de France perhaps endangered

Edvald Boasson Hagen will not ride the Norwegian road championships this Sunday, and his participation in the Tour de France may be endangered.   The Team Sky rider has been diagnosed with shingles (herpes zoster).

“As a precautionary measure, he has withdrawn from the road championships this weekend,” team spokesman Kris Dent told Cyclingnews Friday evening.  “We are monitoring the situation and at this point there is no change in his Tour status.”

On Thursday, Boasson Hagen rode to his fifth consecutive national time trial title.  Earlier that day he had noticed a rash on his body, but did not have any discomfort, tv2.no reported.

His condition worsened on Friday and the shingles were diagnosed by a physician.

Shingles is a painful, contagious rash which is caused by the chicken pox virus.