Ecuador's 2021 Olympic cycling champion Richard Carapaz said on Monday he will not compete in the world championship road race next Sunday due to needing to be with his daughter after she underwent an "emergency operation".
The 31-year-old king of the mountains in this year's Tour de France explained on social media the medical procedure in Ecuador had gone well but his daughter needed to "remain under observation" due to her state of health.
Carapaz, the 2019 Giro champion, said he had been unable to train normally the last few days and was neither in the right physical nor mental state to line up.
"Representing Ecuador is one of the most important things for me as a sportsman," he said.
"But we are all human beings... and the health of my family is my priority."
Carapaz would have been a medal contender due to the riders confronting 4000 metres of climbing in the 273.9 kilometres long race in Zurich.