Champion Tadei Pogachal, a strong contender for Liège-Bastogne-Liège, announced this morning that he will not be racing tomorrow.

In a post on Twitter, he explained, "Sadly, I will not be available for tomorrow's (Liege-Bastogne-Liege) start."

"It's been a tough few days, but I want to thank everyone for their understanding, and to UAE Team Emirates and Mauro Gianetti, as well as team principal Matar, for their support during this situation."

UAE Team Emirates has announced that Brandon McNulty announced that he will be replacing Pogachar at La Doyenne.

On Thursday, Pogachar's partner and fiancée, Urschka Zigato, revealed on social media that her mother had passed away.

"Life is not fair sometimes. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share this news with you today. My mother was my best friend and the most important person in my life," the Slovenian professional cyclist said on Instagram (opens in new tab).

Pogachar was one of the favorites to win the race last year, having had a very good Classics season with seven wins and a top-five finish in Milan-San Remo and the Tour de Flanders.

In Pogachar's absence, the team will be led by Marc Hirschi, who finished sixth in last year's race. He had already been allowed to run as a "free electron" rather than solely supporting Pogachar.

In addition to Hirschi and McNulty, Jan Polank, George Bennett, Vegard Stake Rengen, Diego Ulissi, and Marc Soler complete the strong lineup of UAE Team Emirates.