Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini will miss next week's UCI Road World Championships due to treatment for a serious skin infection on her left leg.

This will be Longo Borghini's 12th appearance at the World Championships, having won bronze medals in the road race in 2012 and 2020. In addition, she was an integral part of Elisa Balsamo's 2021 triumph, putting her teammate in perfect position to begin her sprint to victory.

Two of Longo Borghini's Trek Riddle teammates will join former world champion Elisa Balsamo and Glasgow representative Ilaria Sanguinetti in the Italian National Team's elite women's road race.

Also Chiara Consonni, Silvia Persico, Eleonora Gasparini (UAE Team ADQ), Elena Cecchini, Barbara Guarischi (Team SD Worx) and Soraya Paladin (Canyon-SRAM Racing), Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-SUEZ) will also be on the team. Guazzini and Alessia Vigilia (Top Girls Sports Group) will also compete in the elite women's time trial.

Longo Borghini is the reigning Italian champion in both the road race and time trial, and will be in Glasgow for the elite women's event, which begins with a 35.2 km individual time trial on August 10 and concludes with a 154.1 km road race on August 13, in Italy She had hoped to wear the colors. But her skin infection requires rest and antibiotics.

"Elisa suffers from a deep skin infection on her upper left thigh. This is a serious infection and should never be taken lightly. The condition is causing pain and fever and she is still in bed at home. Therefore, she needs strong antibiotic treatment, which will last at least a week from today," said Gaetano Daniele, head physician at Lidl Trek.

Longo Borghini was making a comeback from last week's crash at the Giro d'Italia Donne, but a skin infection forced him to retire from the Tour de France femme, where he was fourth on GC, just before the crucial Col du Tourmalet stage. He was now in fourth place in GC.

"I can't find the words to explain how I feel right now. Mentally it was a big blow and unfortunately it was already a problematic season. The fact that I had to come back from the Tour was a huge disappointment. It was painful, there is no denying that," Longo Borghini said in a team statement. [The physical and emotional blow was always painful, but I was never depressed, I only wanted to look forward. Interruption at this stage of the season is what I most wanted to avoid, but my priority is my health. I am focused on healing and recovering to the best of my ability. It's hard to give up the World Championship, but it's also true that it was the only option," said Borghini, adding that he will support his teammates as hard as he can.

Now, according to Lidl-Trek team doctors, she has to finish her treatment and may be able to ride her bike again in a week instead of racing.

"Our priority is for her to benefit from the treatment and get better as soon as possible. During the treatment period, any training is unthinkable. At best, if the antibiotic treatment produces the desired results, Elisa will be able to return to non-intensity riding in about 10 days. Then we can start talking about a return to competition," Dr. Daniele said.

"We will monitor the situation on a daily basis and in the next few days we will schedule an ultrasound of the area affected by the infection to see if the treatment is working or if another intervention is needed."

The 31-year-old Italian champion won a bronze medal in the road race at the Tokyo Olympics.