Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea) has been forced to withdraw from the World cyclocross championships in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 3rd, due to a persistent knee injury. The newly crowned British champion has been struggling with the pain since she crashed in the Zolder, Belgium, round of the World Cup on December 26th; despite being able to race - and win her first ever national cyclocross title - the 26-year-old’s injury has not improved and she has had to call a halt to her winter season.
“I've had some issues with my knee over the past few weeks after I hit it on the handlebars at the Zolder World Cup,” Harris explained. “I managed to mask the pain for a few weeks and hoped it would recover and I could finish my season strongly as I had planned. After an appointment with the specialist today we learned that the injury has now worsened and I have an acute tear in some tissue on my patella. Due to this I will unfortunately have to draw a close to my season immediately and take some rest. After a few weeks we can re evaluate how things are going and decide If surgery is necessary or not.”
Harris has enjoyed her best season to day, riding for the Young Telenet-Fidea Team, the women’s and juniors’ arm of the major men’s cyclocross team, taking her first ever international victories. She also achieved her first ever podium finishes in the World Cup, with third in Tabor, Czech Republic, and second in Koksijde, Belgium, and is currently fourth in the International Cycling Union (UCI) rankings.
Her biggest result of the season, however, came in Bradford, in northern England, when she ended Helen Wyman’s (Kona) seven-year winning streak and take the national title. Unfortunately for Harris though, she was unable to race in her new red, white and blue jersey in the Hoogerheide, Netherlands, World Cup on Sunday, as a mistake at the printer saw kit supplier BioRacer get the stripes upside down.
“It's obviously a huge disappointment to me, my team and British Cycling that I won't be able to take part in the up-and-coming world championships in Louisville and the remainder of the cyclocross season,” Harris continued. “However, I have to take the positives from my season so far. I finished 3rd in the World Cup overall standings, I won five races had 14 podium places and of course my biggest goal of the year in winning the nationals. So I guess it could be a lot worse.
“Time is on my side and I have the time now to let my body recover,” she added.
British Cycling has announced that it will not be replacing Harris in the Louisville team - just as it decided not to do when Lizzie Armitstead withdrew from the road Worlds - leaving the British women with just three riders.
Great Britain team for the World cyclocross championships, Louisville (KY), February 2nd-3rd
Elite Men
Ian Field
Elite Women
Gabby Day
Annie Last
Helen Wyman
U23 Men
Steven James
Adam Martin
Hugh Robinson
Junior Men
Billy Harding
Adam King
Jack Ravenscroft
Jake Womersley