Adelaide cyclist Tim Roe will step away from the World Tour in 2013, plagued by back and hip problems, moving from BMC Racing Team to one of the BMC Development Teams with two squads set to race.
The 22-year-old underwent surgery five weeks ago, having been unable to race since July when he was a DNF at Tour de Wallonie. Roe had been getting by with cortisone injections but he told the Adelaide Advertiser that it was becoming "mentally and physically draining" fighting the chronic pain.
"I wanted to go home and fix it once and for all," he said.
"And when he (surgeon) did the operation he said the nerve looked very aggravated and worse than what the MRI had shown.
"The last five weeks have been just lying down or going for some walks. I can sit down for 10 or 15 minutes at a time then I have to go for a walk and stretch my back."
Roe will be taking his time with his recovery and has not put a deadline on his return, saying: "I've had a rough couple of years and I'm trying to look on the bright side, that once I get over this everything will get a bit easier."
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