Hushovd on penicillin for bad cold

Thor Hushovd's preparations to defend his road World Championship title are being hampered by an illness. The Norwegian is being treated with penicillin, but does not feel that his participation in the race is endangered.

The current world champion is riding the Tour of Britain as his final preparation for the Worlds next week in Copenhagen. On Sunday's first stage he finished 67^th in the same time as winner Mark Cavendish.

Hushovd is having problems with his nose, throat and sinuses. “He is very sick and it's true that he has begun to take penicillin,” his personal trainer Atli Kvalsvoll told procycling.no.

Kvålsvoll is concerned that the forecasted rain in Britain will aggravate the problem, saying it is “day-to-day as to whether he will abandon the race or not.” Hushovd however told NRK.no that he intends to ride all the stages since he did not have a fever.

“Riding a few stages is important, for it is short-intensive stages that are very form-building, but it is not very important to complete the whole race,” the trainer said, assuring  that “there is no danger that Hushovd does not compete” in the Worlds road race.

The Norwegian national team is scheduled to meet for a training camp in Belgium on Sunday before traveling to Copenhagen on Thursday for the Sunday race.