Nicolas Roche is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after further checks to the injury that forced him to abandon the 2019 Vuelta a Espana revealed a fractured left patella for the Team Sunweb rider.
Roche quit the Grand Tour following a nasty crash on Stage 6 that left the Irishman with intense bruising and stitches, which was initially thought to be the worst of his injuries.
'After going through the big disappointment of leaving the Vuelta, I held hope that I would still be able to continue riding my bike and compete in the Italian Classics once the edema had healed,' he said.
'But this news has just hit me again – now my priority is to look after my rehabilitation in the best way possible so that I can get back healthy and on the bike ASAP.'
Roche now faces a race against the clock to be capable of lining up for Ireland at the UCI Road World Championships at the end of this month, with his team physio anticipating a four to six week set-back period.
The crash that caused his fracture also forced Education First pair Hugh Carthy and Rigoberto Uran out of the race, with the latter suffering from a number of major injuries.