Elisa Longo Borghini will miss her favorite home event, the Strade Bianche race, due to a recent illness. Trek Segafredo will announce the full roster on Friday, but confirmed that Amanda Spratt and Elisa Balsamo will lead the team in the 136km race in Siena on Saturday.

"Strade Bianche will not be racing this year because she got sick this morning ...... Aww, it's my favorite race. ...... I'll be cheering for my Trek-Segafredo teammates from the couch!" Longo Borghini posted on social media Thursday.

Trek-Segafredo later confirmed that Longo Borghini has flu-like symptoms and will take time to recover before resuming the Spring Classic.

"Due to mild flu symptoms, unfortunately Elisa Longo Borghini will miss Saturday's race. Tomorrow we will be able to confirm the final registered members for the race with Amanda Spratt and Elisa Balsamo as key riders," the team said in a statement.

Longo Borghini's absence from the Italian Women's World Tour race means that a second home key contender will not start, following FDJ-SUEZ's announcement two days before Strade Bianche that Marta Cavalli has been removed from the roster. Cavalli will be out of the race as she continues her long-term recovery from serious injuries sustained in a heavy crash at the Tour de France Femme last July.

Longo Borghini had a successful start to the season with a third stage win and overall victory at the UAE Tour Women's in February. Last weekend she finished 10th in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

She was a favorite among the peloton to win the race in 2017 and has been on the podium in three other events.

Trek-Segafredo has yet to confirm its full roster, but both Spratt and Balsamo have proven their early season form and will be in contention during the race on white gravel roads throughout Tuscany.

The race climbs steeply up the Via Santa Caterina and finishes in Piazza del Campo in Siena.