Cummings to return at Pais Vasco

BMC rider Steven Cummings will make his return to competitive action on Monday at Paris Vasco. The British rider has been sidelined since he was brought down in stage three of the Volta ao Algarve on February 17, a crash that resulted in a broken pelvis.

The Volta ao Algarve had previously been a happy hunting ground for the 31-year-old from the Wirral, Merseyside, who came second in last season's Tour of Britain in the colours of Team Sky. In 2011 he led for much of the race in Portugal, up until the final time trial, and finished in seventh place overall. This year's edition was memorable for all the wrong reasons though.

Now Cummings is ready to return to the road at Pais Vasco, which is known to English speaking cycling fans as the Tour of the Basque Country. The six-stage race is one of the oldest on the calendar, dating back to 1924, and received the go-ahead recently after concerns about the faltering Spanish economy. It is known for its tough mountain stages.

"I think I'm at a level now where I can survive the race and do work for the team," Cummings said. "I was off the bike for three weeks and then the first week or so was very painful because the fracture was where I sat on the saddle."