Fernando Gaviria did not take to the start of the 5th stage in the Tour of Britain this morning.

Though the Colombian sprinter won the 4th stage yesterday, he is suffering from pre-patellar friction syndrome in his right knee, which needs a period of rest.

"This problem can come up either after a trauma like a fall, or from overuse, as in Fernando's case," explains Team Doctor Yvan Vanmol. "Fernando is a young rider who is measuring himself against certain distances, and with a professional pace for the first time. This is why, as a precautionary measure, we decided to not let him start and give him time to recuperate 100 percent. In the next few days we will evaluate if and when Fernando will be able to race from here to the end of the season, without any risk."