Rachel Atherton out for First World Cup

Despite more than a month of rest and rehabilitation, we are sorry to say there has been no major improvement with the nerve damage in Rach's shoulder. Rach has visited a number of specialists over the last few weeks who have all been unable to give a clear indication on her recovery time. The current view is to wait a further four weeks to see if the nerve improves – which obviously means that Rachel will miss the first World Cup round. She is continuing to train with the view of returning as soon as she can. Follow Rachel's recovery on www.animalcommencal.com or for up to the minute updates on Twitter