Concern over two-time winner Tadej Pogacar's fitness led his UAE Emirates team to name Adam Yates as their co-leader for the Tour de France on Wednesday.
Pogacar was on dazzling form before he broke a wrist in a fall in April and was forced out of the saddle ahead of his bid to claim back the Tour title.
Team chief Mauro Gianetti, like Pogacar himself, had insisted he was confident the rider would recover in time for Saturday's Grand Depart in Bilbao, but on Wednesday the UAE boss changed his tune.
"We really don't have any choice because Tadej spent five weeks without being able to train on the road," Gianetti said.
"He has worked hard. We have a lot of faith in him but there are no miracles in cycling," he explained.
Pogacar made a winning return from injury last Thursday with a dominant time-trial victory at the Slovenian championships. He then backed it up by winning the road title.
"That doesn't mean he'll be 100 per cent ready for Saturday," Gianetti said.
A year ago, Jonas Vingegaard, aided by his Jumbo-Visma team's collective strength, outlasted the daring Pogacar in a ruthless war of attrition in the mountains.
Pogacar had finished first the year before with Vingegaard second and the duel between the two is the headline act at this Tour.
Yates joined Team UAE from Ineos this season and recently described Pogacar as "the superstar of the team".
"But, who knows, sometimes you get injured or sick and you always need back up," Yates said in the build up to Saturday's opening stage in the Bilbao back-country.
Pogacar, 24, suffered the injury during April 24's Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He was soon training in a gym but missed over a month on the bike as he allowed time for his wrist to heal.
"Luckily it's not a huge setback. It's nothing to do with the legs or head. I could train almost normally, do good hours," Pogacar said.
"Hopefully I will be 100 per cent. Maybe the wrist will not be at 100 per cent, but I think the legs can be because you don't need a wrist to train legs.
"We will see how the Tour goes and I will enjoy it in any case," he added.
"We have a very good group. There will be some serious competitors but that will always be the case in the biggest races," said Pogacar.
"We are going there to put on a good show and of course with the aim of victory" added the 2020 and 2021 Tour champion.
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