Trek-Segafredo's options for Strade Bianche suffered a blow Thursday when the team announced that Gianluca Brambilla, third in the race in 2016, had to be pulled from the roster after being diagnosed with pneumonia. Brambilla will also miss a planned start at Tirreno-Adriatico, according to the team's Twitter update.
The 30-year-old Italian moved to Trek-Segafredo this year after five years with the Quick-Step team, where he won stages at both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in 2016. He also earned his best result at Strade Bianche that year, finishing four seconds behind winner Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) and runner-up Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step) after making the final selection.
The team added Nicola Conci in Brabilla's place. The Italian will join teammates Eugenio Alafaci, Fabio Felline, Michael Gogl, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven and Boy van Poppel on the white gravel roads of Tuscany.
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