Vos to have cyst removed from lower back

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Marianne Vos is scheduled for an operation to remove a cyst from her lower back at the end of the month. Vos recently spoke with Dutch paper De Telegraaf saying she believed she'd found an answer to why she'd been experiencing pain for most of the season

"Maybe this is the culprit," Vos told De Telegraaf. "It may well be that the cyst is pressing on a nerve and gives me pain at the base of my lower back. I know it is not fine, especially during a ‘cross. That is an outright attack on your body."

The news was met with concern by Vos' fans, such that Vos felt it necessary to clarify the severity of the situation via twitter.

"The story is made bigger than it is," said Vos. "My back is getting better & the minor surgery was planned in my off-season. No worries!"

Vos recently won her third world title on the road in Florence and earlier in the year she won her sixth elite Cyclo-cross world title. Having recently re-signed for Rabobank-Liv/Giant for another two seasons and with this procedure only set to improve her performance, it appears there will be no let-up for Vos' competitors in the near future.