As the men's peloton heads to Italy for a major block of spring racing, two notable names will be absent from the upcoming WorldTour meets.
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) is a scratch from the Tirreno-Adriatico start list after suffering a concussion in a crash at the UAE Tour.
The British GC rider suffered a hard fall on the third stage to Jebel Jais though continued on despite not undergoing a concussion protocol check. He kept riding on the stage until he began to complain of a headache, at which point he was pulled from the race.
He'll now be out of Tirreno-Adriatico, which runs from March 4-10 as a result.
"He is stable with other superficial injuries," said UAE Team Emirates after Yates' withdrawal from the UAE Tour. "For the sake of Adam's health, and as per concussion protocols, he was withdrawn from racing. He will need recovery, and the medical team will continue with neurological monitoring and rehab going forward."
Elsewhere, Groupama-FDJ Classics and time trial star Stefan Küng will also miss Tirreno as well as Saturday's Strade Bianche.
The Swiss rider, who began his season with a top 10 at the Volta ao Algarve and 16th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, is out of both races due to "personal reasons", Groupama-FDJ announced on Friday.
"For personal reasons, Stefan Küng will not be at the start of Strade Bianche on Saturday and will not be competing in Tirreno Adriatico either," the team announced on social media.
It's unclear when Küng will be able to return to racing, with his next appointments coming towards the end of the month at the E3 Saxo Classic (March 22) and the remainder of the cobbled Classics.
For personal reasons, Stefan Küng will not be at the start of Strade Bianche on Saturday and will not be competing in Tirreno Adriatico either.March 1, 2024
