"Australia's Bradley McGee will miss the Tour de France for a second year in a row because of an ongoing problem with the herniated disc in his back.

McGee, who spectacularly won the prologue of the centenary Tour in 2003 with the slimmest of margins over Britain's David Millar, had been hoping to get back on the world's biggest race after missing out last year.

But despite appearing to be on the road to recovery from his back problem McGee said he has been "forced to face reality".

A statement on the 31-year-old Sydneysider's website explained: "It is time to face facts and realise the band aid treatment of my sciatica problem is not going to support my professional cycling ambitions."