Richard Kalapas underwent a tonsillectomy in mid-December and rested for two and a half weeks; EF Education-EasyPost has confirmed that the Olympic champion has since returned to training.

Carapaz, who has had recurring tonsillitis in recent years, underwent surgery in Ecuador last month to resolve the problem.

"For about three years now, I have had the problem of recurrent tonsillitis," Kalapas said in a statement released by his new team.

"During camp, last year, I had recurring tonsillitis, which eventually became a problem, so I talked to the team about getting a tonsillectomy. No matter where I went or what I did, I always had this problem. Ultimately, it's annoying."

EF Education-EasyPost team doctor John Greenwell explained that his time off the bike was further prolonged due to "a small complication during his recovery: bleeding from his tonsils."

Kalapas joined the US team this winter after three years with the Ineos Grenadiers, and is now back in training.

The 2019 Giro d'Italia winner's early season program has yet to be finalized, but coach Jonathan Vaughters insisted that he remains "on track" for his main goal, the Tour de France.

"The first day was a little awkward on the bike," Karapas said. "The first couple of days I started with a couple of hours. I'm going to increase it a little more [this week]. My body is adapting to the bike and I'm getting back into a routine."