Lewis to return early to Australia

An injured SouthAustralia.com rider Shaun Lewis will end his season early and return to Australia to heal. The 20 year-old will miss out on representing Australia in next month's World Championships in Fort William, Scotland. Lewis was selected after winning the Under 23 national title in Canberra earlier year, placing a creditable fourth in elite.

Lewis' foot injury has been slow to heal, and a specialist at the Mapei Centre confirmed he had a bone bruise on the bottom of his heel combined with pain in his lateral ankle structure. The specialist said he felt it would be at least two weeks before significant improvement could be expected, which means that he will not be ready to take part in the Hexagonal which starting in one week's time.

In consultation with coach, Neil Ross, Lewis has made the difficult decision to end his season early to focus on recovery and commence his preparations for next year rather than struggle through to Worlds in September with injuries and poor preparation. Long term, Lewis has his sights set on earning a spot on the team for the 2008 Olympics.

Dylan Cooper will take Lewis' place on the SouthAustralia.com which also includes Daniel McConnell and Lachlan Norris.