Former road cycling world champion Peter Sagan from Team Bora-hansgrohe will miss the Olympic Games in Tokyo after his knee operation.
The Slovak Olympic Committee announced this on Tuesday.
Sagan could not start "for health reasons", it said.
As the Slovak Olympic Committee announced online on Tuesday, the national cycling association had already asked in writing to approve the nomination change.
Instead of the three-time world champion, Lukas Kubis will now drive in Japan.
The 31-year-old Sagan got out of the Tour de France after a fall and had an operation afterwards.
Sagan described how a wound above his kneecap had become more and more infected.
“The only option was to end the race and have the bursa surgically removed,” said Bora-hansgrohe team doctor Christopher Edler about the procedure.
The operation went well and without complications.
Sagan was "doing well", the Bavarian team said.
The charismatic racing driver should be able to start "light training" again in a few days.
But that's not enough for a comeback soon on the Olympic course in Tokyo.