World champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot ruled out of cyclo-cross season with injury

The French rider has injured her knee and will be out of action for at least six weeks

Pauline Ferrand-Prevot wins women's Cyclo-Cross World Championships 2015. Photo: Graham Watson

(Image credit: Watson)

Reigning world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will miss the cyclocross season this winter due to an injury picked up in training.

She tweeted saying that she'd fractured her tibial plateau, which meant farewell to her chances of defending her title.

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"Knee injury: fracture of the tibial plateau. Farewell to my cyclo-cross season".

Her Rabo-Liv team tweeted to confirm that she would be inactive for six weeks.

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The team went on to wish her well in her recovery.

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The rider was, for a time this year, world champion on the road, in cyclocross and in cross country mountain biking.

She was unable to defend her road title, which was taken by Lizzie Armitstead, and now looks unlikely to be in the running for victory at the 'cross worlds.

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Recovery will be her key aim as she looks beyond the cyclocross season to the 2016 road racing calendar.

Next season will see launch of the Women's WorldTour, and the young French rider will be among the top picks to do well in the headline races.

Rabo-Liv will also have Marianne Vos back in their squad after her 2015 season was abadoned due to a string of injury woes. The Dutch team will be even more competitive when back up to full strength.

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Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.