Australian cycling star Richie Porte is out of the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race because of illness.
The news comes a day after reigning Australian cyclist of the year Michael Matthews was forced out of the weekend's Srade Bianche race because of a broken bone in his shoulder.
The March 7-13 Tirreno Adriatico in Italy was an early-season objective for Porte ahead of the July Tour de France.
But his BMC team announced on Friday that the Tasmanian developed an upper respiratory infection after last month's Volta ao Algarve, Porte's first European race of the season.
It meant he missed nearly a week's training.
"Given Tirreno-Adriatico was one of Richie's goal races this season, it did not make sense to line up when his preparation was far from ideal," team doctor Max Testa said in a team statement.
Fellow Australian Rohan Dennis will now be one of BMC's main riders at Tirreno-Adriatico, particularly given the last stage is an individual time trial.
Dennis was runner-up in last year's race.
