Ciccone’s absence adds to a growing list of late changes that have steadily thinned the expected GC field, altering both the sporting balance and several teams’ early-season plans.
A growing list of late setbacks
Individually, each absence had a clear explanation. Taken together, they underline how fragile early-season GC line-ups can be, particularly at a race that sits so close to winter training blocks and altitude camps.
Derek Gee handed immediate opportunity in new colours
That rethink brings an unexpected spotlight onto Gee, who will line up for his first race of the season and his first appearance in Lidl-Trek colours.
The Canadian joined the team over the winter after establishing himself as a reliable stage-race performer in recent seasons. His inclusion in the UAE Tour was not part of the original plan, but Ciccone’s illness now hands him an immediate WorldTour opportunity at a race that traditionally offers a clear GC hierarchy through the time trial and the mountain finish.
While expectations will naturally be measured given the circumstances of his call-up, Gee’s debut becomes one of the more intriguing subplots of the opening WorldTour stage race of the year. What was meant to be a supporting role elsewhere in the calendar is suddenly replaced by centre-stage exposure in one of the most controlled and GC-focused races on the early-season schedule.
With the UAE Tour already missing several headline names, Ciccone’s withdrawal further underlines how the race is evolving even before it starts, and how quickly opportunity can emerge for riders ready to step into the gap