Mark Cavendish has been ruled out of at least two of this season’s Spring Classics as he recovers from a foot injury.

The Manx Missile had been due to ride in Wednesday’s Scheldeprijs as well as this weekend’s prestigious Paris-Roubaix.

However, the Team Dimension Data star didn’t take to the startline yesterday and is also set to miss out on Sunday’s race due to an overuse injury.

The newly-crowned Isle of Man Sportsman of the Year last competed at the Milan-San Remo but has been hampered by pain felt in his right ankle.

The discomfort was first felt on the penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico in March and has hindered him ever since.

With the Tour de France being the focus of the Manxman’s season this year, the goal is to ensure he is in peak condition come July. With this goal in mind and as a precautionary measure, his race programme has been tailored accordingly so that a full recovery can take place before returning to action.