German champion Hanka Kupfernagel has decided to skip the UCI cyclo-cross world championships in order to prepare for the road season ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games, according to DPA.
Kupfernagel recently scored her 11th German cyclo-cross title, but a 'cross season hampered by illness, the Olympic year and a new start with the RusVelo team has led the four-time world champion to call it quits on 'cross.
"The decision has been very hard to make, and it breaks my heart on one hand. But on the other hand, I see that I'm not fit enough to make the podium at the world championships this winter," Kupfernagel said.
"Now is a recovery phase, and I plan to begin training again for the road season in late January."