Marianne Vos writes off 2015 goals

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This season is unlikely to see any additions to Marianne Vos' glittering palmares as injury has forced the Dutchwoman to write off her ambitions for the season.

The 12-time multi-discipline world champion has been hampered by injuries since the start of the year when she picked up a hamstring problem at the Dutch national cyclo-cross championships. A broken rib sustained in April during a recon ride at the Haiming mountain bike race compounded her woes, and her season will now be devoted entirely to recovery.

"Marianne does not feel fit enough to prepare thoroughly and be race-ready," read a statement from the Dutchwoman's Rabo-Liv team last week. "In agreement with the team's management, it has been decided to let go of the goals for this year and first of all make a full recovery."

The initial hamstring injury derailed the 28-year-old's cyclo-cross campaign. She was held back in the World Cup round in Hoogerheide before her six-year reign as world champion came to an end shortly afterwards.

She didn't return to racing until a mountain bike event in early April and a couple of weeks later she made her debut on the road with sixth place at the Ronde van Gelderland. Things looked to be back on track but just days later she suffered a rib fracture when on a recon ride in the Ötztaler Forest Cross in Haiming, Austria.

Vos raced once on the road in May but has struggled to get back to full fitness. Shortly after the team's statement, she tweeted: "Not an easy decision to skip the upcoming races, but I need more training time to be race ready again."

Vos' plans for 2015 had originally been to weigh her season more heavily in favour of mountain biking in a bid to compete in the mountain bike race at the Olympic Games in Rio next year.