After completing just four months of racing this season professional cyclist Morgan Fox has been forced to postpone plans of a return to competition until next year.

The 26-year-old from Athlone, who last autumn became the first new Irish professional cyclist in 10 years, was sidelined in June by a recurrence of the glandular fever which he first contracted as an amateur in 1998. Although tests show that the virus is waning, doctors have ruled out any racing until 2001.

Fox made his debut with the Belgian Tonissteiner outfit this year, but despite some encouraging results it was clear that something was amiss.

"The first sign was that my hematocrit (red blood cell count) had dropped to around 38 or 39, which is bordering on anaemic," he says. "At the time we had no idea why that was, but I was still going pretty well and finished the best of the team in the Vuelta Asturias. But then I started getting very tired, went for some tests and they discovered the glandular fever had come back."

Having lost out on the chance to compete alongside fellow professional Ciaran Power in the Olympic Games, Fox has recently been attending Trinity College for medical tests which reveal that the virus is ebbing from his system.

"It is important to take my time with this, but it has been really hard," he confesses, "I only watched two stages of the Tour de France in all because it reminded me too much about what I should be doing. I have had to rest all the time, so I have kept sane by doing some reading on nutrition and learning Italian. Just resting, eating well and sleeping - basically doing everything I would for cycling, but without the cycling part," he smiles.

Reassuringly, Fox has been told by Tonissteiner directeur sportif Gerard Bulens that there is a place for him on the team next season.