Gustav Larsson missed out summer months of the 2014 season after he broke several thoracic vertebrae in the training crash in June, and bad luck apparently wouldn’t leave the experienced Swede as he has received another two blows. According to the Swedish Eurosport website, the IAM Cycling rider has been informed that the Swiss team won’t extend his contract and he hasn’t been chosen to participate in the World Championships ITT – the event he had appointed as his return to competition.

Two runner-up stage finishes at the Tour of Norway and Criterium du Dauphine were Larsson’s best results of 2014 season before a serious back injury sustained in the training crash took his out of competitive riding for over three months.

The 33-year old Swede was back on his back as soon as possible, though, hoping to make his return at the World Championships individual time trial, held in Ponferrada on the 24th of September. Unfortunately, Sweden decided that Tobias Ludvigsson and Alexander Gingsjo will represent the country in the upcoming event, leaving the IAM cycling rider very uncertain about his race schedule for the latter part of the season.

"Sure, I had thought about the worlds for my comeback," Larsson told eurosport.se of when he planned to return to racing. "For it was something to motivate myself to keep on going. I spoke with the union after the accident about wanting a place for the worlds."

"We reasoned that we want the best at the world championships, and Gustav as we know, not been able to either compete or train fully since the crash," Heather Sheet told eurosport.se. 

"With scant time was left so we did not see any possibility that he could be in a fair shape. We have chosen to take out those who have been healthy at the selection date."

"I have a feeling that I need to show that I have not disappeared with broken back, but I would like to show that I actually am back on the bike," he said.

"I have not had a bad season, I have the results from last spring, but the people forget so fast. It's not that I have oodles of results, but I have good results. I want to feel that it shows that you are back, so that they trust you and you can drive to the contract."

To make things even worse, Larsson has been informed that IAM Cycling will not sign a new contract with him for next season as they aim to ass more climbers to their roster.

"They seem to want to change their team," he said. "They have said that they have been happy with me, but they want to invest in high mountains, or whatever they said." 

The 33-year old Swede does not think about hanging up his wheels, though, and hopes to find a squad to continue his professional career with.

"The reason I do battle is that I think it's fun to compete," he said. "So I'm trying to get something for next year. I'm hooked on that, I want to compete."

"I work out a lot at the moment because I want to come back," he added. "I'm still super motivated to get back, but I do not really know how I can do it this season. I have not received clarity from the team which races they have to me."