Image 1 of 5 Stefan Küng (BMC) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 2 of 5 Stefan Küng (BMC) (Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa) Image 3 of 5 The gold medals of BMC Racing team (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 4 of 5 Stefan Kung (Switzerland) celebrates his individual pursuit win. (Image credit: Bettini) Image 5 of 5 Stefan Küng takes the stage 4 win in Romandie. (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

The BMC Racing Team announced today that Swiss rider Stefan Küng has had to stop his preparations for the 2016 season because of an infection with the Epstein-Barr Virus that showed up during the team's December team camp in Spain.

Team doctor Max Testa said the diagnosis was made at the Swiss Olympic Medical Center. "Although the illness is not worrisome, EBV, commonly known as Glandular Fever, requires a minimum of a few weeks' rest. BMC Racing Team and the Swiss National Cycling Team's physicians are monitoring Stefan's clinical improvements on a regular basis," Dr. Testa said. "Our priority is to ensure that Stefan rests as much as possible, and only resumes training when he is fit and healthy to do so."

Küng, 22, was part of BMC's world championship-winning team time trial squad, and won the Volta Limburg and a stage in the Tour de Romandie this season. He was sidelined in May with a fractured vertebrae as a result of a crash in the Giro d'Italia. He returned in time for the Tour of Britain in late August before being selected for the Worlds team.

He had high hopes for next year, but now has to take complete rest.

"There are already signs of improvement in the past week and I'm working closely with my doctors to monitor my progress before determining when I will be able to train again. At the moment I am taking things day by day and I'm looking forward to getting back on the bike," Küng said.

The team has not yet set a timeline for his return.