Adam Yates ruled out of Tirreno-Adriatico following concussion
Briton misses race after UAE Tour crash, Stefan Küng out of Strade Bianche due to personal reasons
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 "For the sake of Adam's health, and as per concussion protocols, he was withdrawn from racing.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.
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"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
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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.
As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix