Marianne Vos and Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig will not compete in Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege women's race. Both riders were initially named on the preliminary start list for the event, but their respective teams, Jumbo Visma and FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope, told Cycling News that they will not compete in the final race of the Ardennes Classique.

Marianne Vos was one of the favorites to win Paris-Roubaix, but tested positive for COVID-19 on the morning of the April 16 event. The current cyclocross world champion, who finished second behind Lizzie Deignan in the first edition of the Paris-Roubaix fam last October, said she was very disappointed to have to miss the event, but said she supports the team's policy.

"When I saw the results, my first thought was, 'Can I avoid this? The race is beautiful, but health always comes first. Fortunately, my symptoms are mild so far and I hope to be back on the road soon," Vos posted on Instagram on Tuesday.

Vos missed the April 10 Amstel Gold race, which he won last year, to focus on Paris-Roubaix.

Due to a positive test for the coronavirus COVID-19, she will miss not only Paris-Roubaix, but also Wednesday's La Flèche Wallonne, which she has won five times in the past, and Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Jumbo-Visma admitted to Cycling News that competing in Liège-Bastogne-Liège was a little too soon for Vos to recover. However, she will begin preparing for the summer season with a team training camp in May, focusing on competing in the Dutch Championships, the Giro d'Italia Donnay, and the Tour de France Femme.

Uttrup Ludwig has also been away from racing since testing positive for COVID-19 before the Amstel Gold Race. Usually a strong contender for the Ardennes Classics, the Danish all-rounder has also missed La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The French team confirmed to Cyclingnews that Jade Veale will race on Sunday in place of Utrup Ludwig.

Despite not being a major player in this year's Ardennes Classics, FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuros has won its first two events with Marta Cavalli. The Italian rider proved to be the strongest rider in Mule de Uy at La Flèche Wallonne with a solo victory in the Amstel Gold Race on the attack after the Cauberg.

Cavalli and FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine are now on the verge of winning all three Ardennes Classics, a feat achieved by Dutchwoman Anna van der Breggen in 2017.